Visions of You
by jmfangs
Summary: Set near the end of season 3. Klaus needs a way to distract the Salvatore brothers. Plus, he wants revenge on Stefan. What better way to achieve both tasks than by having Bonnie place a spell on Damon and Elena?
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

Elena sat on the edge of her bed, hunched over, one hand massaging her forehead, the other gripping her cell phone.

"Elena, I…..You know how I…." Stefan struggled.

Elena winced as she braced herself for yet another apology. She could hear the desperation in his voice. She longed to be able to forgive him. She wanted more than anything to put this all behind them and go back to how things were before. Before Klaus. Before Katherine. Before werewolves and blood sacrifices. _God, what has become of my life?_ Elena thought before saying, "Stefan, I know." She sighed, loud and long. "It's just going to take some time. I'll talk to you tomorrow, okay?"

"Sure, Elena. Have a good night," Stefan said, sounding resigned. He wouldn't push her. He never pushed her.

Elena hung up the phone and laid back on her pillow, suddenly feeling exhausted. Memories popped up unbidden of a time when she and Stefan had been happy, a time she couldn't imagine being with anyone else, wanting anything different. Elena tried to imagine what her life would have looked like had Stefan never stumbled into it, and by association, Damon. Elena's heart contracted involuntarily at the thought. She still would have been the doppelganger, of course. Still walking, talking, and breathing danger at every turn. But maybe, just maybe, she would have lived a normal, human existence. A boring existence. A blissfully boring human existence. The idea was picking up steam now. Damon had been the catalyst for everything that had gone wrong. If Damon hadn't come back to Mystic Falls in a misguided attempt to release Katherine from the tomb then Klaus never would have learned of her existence. John and Isobel would have continued to watch over her from afar, and the most she would be dealing with would be having a witch as a best friend. Sure, Stefan wouldn't have been there to help lessen the grief from the loss of her parents, but she would have managed eventually. She had Jenna and Jeremy. Of course, without Stefan, she'd also be dead. Drowned at the bottom of the lake with her parents. _Well, there's that._

Elena shook her head to dismiss the thought. Dwelling on what ifs never helped anything. She just had to live one day at a time, one moment at a time. Survive Klaus. And then, well, and then she would see.

Elena's curtains rustled as a gust of wind blew through her open window. She looked over to find Damon casually sitting on her window seat. Her stomach fluttered without her permission as her eyes hungrily took him in. He was beautiful. From his muscular build to his smoldering half smile to the tips of his raven black hair. Elena wanted nothing more than to go over to him right now and run her fingers through that hair and _Wait, what?! Stop it, Elena!_ Elena chided herself. She knew she was attracted to him. Who wouldn't be? But lately that attraction was getting harder to ignore.

"Am I interrupting something?" Damon smirked, taking in her reclined position on her bed and her obvious distress at finding him in her window. "I mean, I can come back if you need a few more minutes to get the job done. Or I could help?" His smirk turned devilish and his eyes sparked.

Elena shivered at the thought of Damon helping with that particular deed. She couldn't help but imagine his hands on her. Holding her. Touching her. Bringing her to the edge. Elena shook her head to tear her thoughts back to reality before Damon could see the effects his words were having on her. She threw a pillow at him. "You're sick," she intoned.

Damon caught the pillow with ease, sticking it behind his back and resting himself against the wall. He smiled again. "You love it," he winked.

"What are you doing here, Damon?" Elena asked, getting out of bed suddenly. She began busying herself with her nighttime routine. Anything to distract her from looking at Damon, from wanting Damon. She shivered again. _Damnit, Elena!_

"Are you cold?" Damon asked innocently, ignoring her question.

 _Fuck!_ Elena thought. He'd noticed. "Uh, no." _Shit!_ "I mean yes. Maybe a little."

Damon chuckled as he reached back and closed the window. Turning around, his eyes roamed her body. He took in her almost bare legs, clad only in her navy sleep shorts. He moved on to her chest, cleavage slightly showing at the top of her peach cami. For a moment, neither of them breathed. Then, roughly, "Maybe you should put on some more clothes." He stood abruptly and marched to her closet, returning with a black hoodie that he tossed unceremoniously in her direction.

Elena caught it and put it on, zipping it all the way up. "Thanks," she muttered, feeling embarrassed and grateful. She'd felt naked under his gaze.

"I just came by to let you know Barbie's downstairs. She's got babysitting duty tonight," Damon said, moving to open her bedroom door.

Elena wanted to protest that she didn't need a babysitter, but she knew it wasn't true, not with Klaus still hanging around wanting to make her a one person human blood bank.

Damon opened the door and gestured her out. Elena walked through into the hallway, taking in his smell as she passed within inches of his body. It was a smell she'd come to associate with desire and danger. A smell she wanted to lose herself in.

"You're not staying?" Elena asked, trying to level her voice, praying she sounded casual. _What is going on with me?_

"Do you want me to stay?" He cooed seductively, raising is eyebrows and leaning close.

Elena struggled to breathe normally. She managed to roll her eyes and push him gently away. "No, Damon. I was just wondering why tonight you've recruited Caroline to help babysit, when every other night, it's been _you_ sleeping on my couch and eating all Jeremy's Doritos."

"Stefan's not been," he hesitated, "transitioning well." He says _transitioning_ more as a question than a statement. Is it the right word? Is there a right word for this situation? "Anyway, I thought I'd stay at the boarding house tonight and have some brother bonding time. See if I can help him out a little. Now that Klaus doesn't seem like an immediate threat, that is. That bastard really did a number on him."

 _Stefan._ Elena couldn't believe it, but for a moment, just a moment, she had forgotten about him. Guilt clouded her face but all she said was, "I think that is a great idea, Damon." And looking him in the eye so he would know she meant it, she said, "Thank you." With that, Elena turned to go see Caroline and make a sandwich. She'd missed her friend and she was starving. _I haven't eaten since breakfast,_ she realized. _She_ turned back around to ask Damon if he wanted a sandwich, but he was gone.

* * *

Damon stormed into the boarding house, slammed the door, and came to an abrupt halt. He ran both hands threw his hair as he lifted them above his head in a sign of supplication. Then he roared as he yanked his leather jacket off and threw it across the foyer. It wasn't enough. He wanted to throw something breakable. No. He wanted to bite something. To rip someone's throat open and tear their head from their body. He breathed heavily and closed his eyes as he willed the rage to disperse. He couldn't afford to be out of control. Not now. Not with so much at stake.

Why did he let her get to him? Why did he continue to punish himself? He had thought that they were making progress, that while Stefan had been gone, she was finally starting to see what he saw, feel what he felt. But now Stefan was back and Elena was back to being Stefan, Stefan, Stefan. _Fucking Stefan._

Part of him wanted to pack his bags and get out of dodge, leave both Stefan and Elena to rot. He would never actually do it, but the thought was there, all the same. That's what Katherine had done, wasn't it? She had chosen self-preservation over friendship and love. It was this sobering thought that made him dismiss the idea completely. He would never do anything that would make him even a little bit like her.

Damon thought back to just a few minutes ago in Elena's upstairs hallway when she had turned to thank him for helping Stefan. The emotion on her face. The utter despair that permeated the atmosphere. She seemed lost in that moment, and he wanted nothing more than to go to her, to hold her tight against his chest, to whisper assurances that everything would be alright. He wanted to help her find herself again. Instead, he had left. He couldn't help her. Only Stefan could.

Despite that knowledge and her thanks, he wasn't helping Stefan for her. As far as Elena was concerned, he knew that helping Stefan was not in his best interest. Because Stefan would go back to being his boring, bunny eating self, and Elena would go back to loving and adoring him unconditionally. And he'd be out in the dark. Again.

Nope. He was helping Stefan for himself. After all, Stefan wouldn't be in this position had he not been saving Damon's life. Damon felt he owed it to his brother to help him. Sure, that was part of it, but it was more than that. They had been in a moderately good place before all this Klaus shit had happened. He wanted that back. Simple as that.

* * *

 _Tonight seemed almost normal_ , Elena mused as she nuzzled under the covers. She and Caroline had made popcorn, watched a movie, and talked about Tyler. Elena had strictly forbidden discussion of Stefan, and for once in her life Caroline had listened. She didn't bring him up once. It was just what she needed. _Maybe I'll actually be able to sleep tonight_. Elena closed her eyes and felt herself begin to drift off.

Unbidden, thoughts of Damon pulled Elena back from the abyss of sleep and the delicious nothingness that it offered. _Why did he just rush off like that? Is he mad at me? Why do I even care?_ Then, _Enough!_ Elena pushed all thoughts from her mind. There would be time to figure everything out. Hopefully. But right now what she needed was sleep. Blissful, dreamless sleep.

* * *

Elena stormed into the boarding house, note from Sheriff Forbes in hand. It was her 18th birthday, and apparently Stefan's present to her were two dead women in Tennessee. She needed to tell Damon what the Sheriff had found. She turned the corner to go look for him and ran right into his naked, dripping wet flesh.

"You heard me coming!" She accused, flushing and hiding her eyes as she took three giant steps backwards, away from his, well, ALL of him.

"And I want to hear you coming," Damon breathed, as he closed the newly created distance between them with vamp speed. He grabbed her forearm and gently pulled it away from her eyes and back down to her side. His other hand caressed her cheek. He leaned in and kissed her lips almost chastely, but his words juxtaposed his actions. "I want to hear you coming over," kiss, "and over," kiss, "and over again."

Elena felt the flood of heat between her legs and she was acutely aware of her nipples hardening with desire as they grazed his bare, damp chest. He pulled her head down slightly, exposing her neck, and he kissed it. Softly at first, then more earnestly. Elena let out a small gasp. Her body involuntarily pulled him closer. Her hips lifted to grind into his erection. His NAKED erection. _What on earth am I doing?_ Elena fleetingly wondered, but she didn't have time to dwell. Damon moved his hands down her body until they were on her ass. He squeezed and growled into her neck before lifting her up to rest on the back of the couch.

Elena wrapped her legs around Damon's waste and wrapped one arm over his shoulder. She used the other hand to run her fingers through his hair, _Oh, his beautiful hair,_ before pulling him away from her neck so she could taste his lips. He deepened the kiss, using his tongue to part her lips.

Damon pulled away just long enough to pull her maroon spaghetti strapped top up over her head. Her necklace tangled in the lace and for a frustrating moment she was stuck.

"Help! Damon, get this off of me," she struggled, and Damon was all too happy to comply. He ripped the shirt apart in one easy movement and flung the tattered pieces aside. He went back to rip away her bra, but she halted his hands.

"I'll do that. I'd like to be able to wear it again." She unsnapped her strapless black bra and discarded it near her shirt. Damon took in the sight of her bare chest hungrily, his eyes darkening. He brought his hands up to massage each breast. Slowly and gently rubbing his thumbs over her already hardened nipples. Elena moaned and her hips bucked as he squeezed each nipple between his fingers. She wanted him so badly. She began kissing him again as she brought her hands down to his bare cock. She slid her hand lightly around his erection and slowly ghosted along his shaft. He moaned. She tightened her grip and pumped up and down again and again and again. His breath became shallow and his kisses more insistent. She was so turned on.

"Damon," Elena breathed.

"Yes, Elena?" Damon asked between kisses along her jaw and around her ear.

She grabbed his head in both her hands and brought his forehead to rest against hers, halting any further progress. Making eye contact so he was sure to understand her, to believe that she wanted this as much as he did. "Take me," she said.

That's all the encouragement he needed. Damon pulled her off the couch and yanked her shorts and panties down in one fluid motion. He picked her back up by her bare butt cheeks and with vamp speed whisked Elena to his bed.

Damon settled between Elena's legs and began kissing her again. He brought his hand to her clit and massaged it, varying his strokes from slow to fast and slow again. Elena gasped and rolled her hips against his hand. Damon moved his fingers down her sex, parting her labia and feeling her wetness. It was his turn to gasp. "You're so wet. I could smell it, but I had no idea…" he trailed off.

Elena snapped to attention. "You could smell it?!" She was horrified. What did he mean?

Damon chuckled as he continued to tease her, rubbing his hand up and down, around and around. "I'm a vampire, Elena. I have enhanced senses. I can smell when you're aroused. I can hear your heartbeat increase. There's not much you can hide from me," he explained calmly, seductively. "Dirty girl," he added as an afterthought, smirking at her.

Elena knew she should be embarrassed. She attempted to think of all the times she'd been aroused by him, all the times her body must have given her away without her knowledge. But she was too turned on to think clearly. Too caught up in the moment to care. Instead, fed up with the teasing and the talking, she rolled on top of Damon. She lifted her hips so his erection hovered at her entrance. She rocked slightly. It was her turn to tease now.

"Elena," Damon groaned.

And with that, she ground down, taking him to the hilt. They both gasped. Damon moved his hands around her hips, taking some of the weight as she continued to ride him. They were both so worked up and it all felt so good, so right.

"Touch yourself, Elena," Damon whispered.

In all her past sexual encounters, this was something she'd never had the courage to do. She was too inhibited. But with Damon, something in her relaxed. She continued to ride him with the help of his strong hands as she brought one hand to her breast and the other to her clit. She was so close to the edge she could taste it. "Damon, I'm gonna…" She moaned as he thrust up, harder and faster. "I can't…" She felt the pressure building with each thrust and each circle of her fingers on her sex.

"Come with me, Elena." Damon ordered as he continued to thrust up faster and faster. It was this order that sent her over the edge. Her body tensed and her legs shook as she found blessed release. She screamed his name and with it she felt him release inside her. She collapsed on his chest as she rode out her orgasm. He held her for dear life, stroking her hair.

* * *

Elena woke with a start. Her whole body was throbbing. She felt sated. She stretched and curled back down into her covers trying to puzzle together what had just happened.

Elena remembered every detail of the dream. It had been the day of her birthday party. The day Sherriff Forbes had given her the information on the killings in Tennessee. The day she had walked in on Damon buck ass naked. All that had really happened, but that was it. In reality, she had given him the note, they had fought, and she had left. The rest of it had only ever happened in her fantasies, but none of her fantasies had ever compared to this. Not even close. This dream had been different. It had felt real. It was visceral. Every sensation she had in the dream, she had felt in real life. It's no wonder that she had orgasmed in her sleep. She only hoped she hadn't actually called out his name. And if she had, she prayed that Caroline was too sound asleep to have heard.

Elena grabbed for the vervain necklace around her neck ensuring it was still in place. It was. That meant it probably wasn't Damon playing around in her head, but if not him, then who? And how, for that matter?

This had to have something to do with Damon. Elena grabbed her cell and called him before she could over think it. _What am I going to say?_ She thought as the phone rang. _I just had the most amazing wet dream about you and was wondering why. I mean, other than the obvious fact that I'm completely and totally hung up on you, body and soul._ Umm, no.

"Hey, you," Damon answered on the first ring. It took her off guard. She was expecting his usual biting sarcasm. Something along the lines of, "Miss me already." Instead, his voice came through the phone and melted her heart. The sound was love, like she had just woken up in his arms the morning after a passionate night of sex.

"Hey," Elena answered simply, losing focus. _Why did I call?_ And when she remembered, her cheeks flushed red.

"Did you need something? I was just getting ready. Figured I would head that way in half an hour."

"No. Umm, how did last night go with Stefan?" _Why did I ask that?_ Elena hit her palm to her forehead. She knew she was stalling.

Damon's voice changed ever so slightly. "It was good. Making progress. Is that why you called?"

Elena just couldn't bring herself to ask. What was she supposed to ask anyway? Feeling stuck, she said the only other thing she could think of, "Why'd you leave so abruptly last night? Are you mad at me?"

"No, Elena." Damon answered, sounding annoyed. She could almost see his eyes rolling.

"Then why?" she asked again.

"Your nothing if not persistent, are you?" Damon quipped. "Look, if this is why you called, can we talk about it later? I had the most amazing little wet dream last night and now I need to throw my sheets in the wash and take a shower. So if we're done…."

Elena's words stuck in her throat. _He had a wet dream? Do I dare ask? What would I normally say to that comment if I weren't fishing for details?_

Elena's thoughts were interrupted by the door banging open downstairs and Caroline's voice, "Bonnie, what's wrong? Are you ok?"

Elena knew Damon could hear everything as plainly as she had, so instead of explaining, she simply says, "I'll see you when you get here," and she hung up the phone.


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: I just want to thank everyone for the positive response so far. This is my first attempt at fanfiction. I've had this idea rolling around in my head and it just had to come out. I have a few chapters written, but be prepared for the updates not to be so fast in the future. Please favorite and review if you like it. Thanks!

Chapter 2

An hour later, the gang was assembled haphazardly around Elena's living room. She sat in the middle of the couch assessing her friends. They were more than friends, really. Over the last year, they had become her family. Her home. Her eyes roved to her brother who sat hunched forward in the arm chair, resigned. He was waiting for the other shoe to drop, knowing it would. It always did. Her eyes continued to Tyler, standing next to Jeremy, unable to keep still. He looked ready for murder and perfectly capable of it. Caroline sat next to Elena, looking worried as she bit her bottom lip while Matt sat directly across on the floor. As per usual, his gaze held a rugged determination. Stefan sat across from Jeremy in the other arm chair. His whole demeanor screamed of defeat and desolation. Looking at him made Elena's heart hurt. Bonnie stood statuesque next to the fire place, clearly pissed. And Damon, well, Damon, incredulously, seemed nervous and fidgety sitting to the left of Elena. His arm brushed hers on accident as he sat down, and he pulled away as if his sleeve had caught fire.

"Okay, Bon-Bon, everyone is here. Can we get started with story time please?" Damon piped.

"Klaus kidnapped me last night," Bonnie seethed between clinched teeth.

Elena gasped. She had thought her friend looked a little disheveled, but she had never expected this. Everyone was clearly shocked. Cries and questions went up all around the living room.

"I'll explain everything, you guys. Just be patient and listen. And yes," she acquiesced, "I'm fine. He didn't hurt me." Elena relaxed a little at that and forced her face into a small smile for Bonnie's sake. She felt Damon shift beside her. _Why am I so aware of him today? That damn dream. Maybe after we get to the bottom of this, I can ask Bonnie about it._ But Elena dismissed the thought as soon as she had it. _Too embarrassing. I'll figure it out somehow._

"So Klaus threated to kill my mom and dad if I didn't cooperate with him. He wanted me to cast a spell, which I did."

"What spell, Bonnie?" Damon all but growled from his place on the couch.

"I'll get to that," Bonnie sighed, visibly annoyed by the interruption. "The spell I cast, in the grand scheme of things anyway, isn't a big deal. I know he made me do it to piss off Stefan." At that statement, Stefan's eyes snapped up to Bonnie. Elena saw fear and anxiety cloud his face as he anticipated Bonnie's next words. _Is fear better than desolation?_ It was hard to witness. She had a hard time wrapping her mind around this Stefan. The Stefan she knew was confident and happy, caring and unwavering. This Stefan seemed broken. In that moment, Elena wanted to kill Klaus.

"But I also think it's a distraction," Elena heard as she refocused on Bonnie's words. "He wants us scrambling around trying to figure this out and in the meantime, he-"

"He can pull off something diabolical." Damon interrupted.

"Exactly," Bonnie nodded.

"Okay, you've got my attention, Little Witch. I think we need to send Blondie on a reconnaissance mission. See what she can find out." Damon leaned over Elena to look at Caroline. "Can you handle that? Because if you can't…"

Elena stiffened at Damon's nearness. She couldn't help remembering her dream. Images flashed before her eyes. She was on his couch messaging his cock. She was in his bed moaning as he thrust into her. He was kissing her neck. Pinching her breasts. Elena's heart rate sped up and she felt the telltale signs of heat spread through her lower belly.

Damon sucked in a breath next to her, cutting off whatever words he was about to say. He shifted his eyes to Elena for a fraction of a second as he grabbed a throw pillow and squeezed it in his lap. Elena couldn't help but remember his words from her dream last night. Could he really smell her arousal? Had that tidbit been true?

"What's wrong?" Bonnie asked Damon, noticing his demeanor shift. "Did something happen just now?"

"I'm fine," Damon murmured, seeming tired all of a sudden. Elena wanted to caress his cheeks and stroke her thumbs under those tired eyes, kiss him, and just hold him. As Elena imagined herself performing these intimate actions, she noticed Damon's eyes widening with shock. Something was happening to him. But what?

"Why, Bonnie? What aren't you telling us?" Elena asked, attempting to pull her attention away from Damon, a pit of dread forming in her stomach.

"It's the spell. The one Klaus made me cast last night. It's called a foreplay spell."

"Kinky," Tyler laughed, a mixture of disbelief and mirth peppering his face.

"Bonnie, that doesn't even sound real. What's it involve?" Jeremy asked seriously. Everyone in the room seemed to lean forward subconsciously, curiosity peppering everyone's face.

"Trust me. I wish it wasn't real, but it is. As you know, the Bennett witches used to be part of a larger coven that were burned here in Mystic Falls a long time ago. Many of the spells I learned from Grams were passed down from them. The coven used to cast this spell for couples as a wedding gift. They would perform the spell the week of the wedding," Bonnie explained.

"Ok, so what's the spell actually do, Bonnie?" Stefan's voice permeated the room, sounding more like himself than he had in months. Bonnie was presenting him with a problem and he was trying to suss out how to fix it. Elena could almost see the clogs working in his head.

"Well, umm, that's the thing," Bonnie squirmed. "From what I understand, it causes erotic visions that the couple will share. And the visions themselves…well…"

"Spit it out, Bonnie," Damon growled.

"They're visceral. The couple will feel every sensation like it's real. They won't necessarily feel a touch on, say, their arm, but they may get goosebumps from said touch. Does that make sense? I think there's more to it the longer the spell is in effect, but I'm not positive. Grams never saw the spell in action, and Klaus didn't elaborate on what he knew either."

"Who did he have you cast the spell on, Bonnie?" Stefan asked, still calm but more intense this time, already knowing the answer.

"I hope it's me! What'd'ya say, Caroline?" Tyler inquired, eyebrows shifting up and down suggestively.

"Gross!" Caroline took off her shoe and threw it at him.

Bonnie cleared her throat. "No, umm…"

Suddenly it clicked. Elena sat up straight. "It's me," she murmured. The extremely realistic dream. The sensations she'd felt in her sleep surpassing anything she'd ever experienced before, even in real life. The fact that Damon had mentioned having a dream of his own…Her cheeks reddened at the thought.

But before anyone could ask her how she knew, Damon ranted, "Of course it's you, Elena. It's you and me. Klaus is trying to piss Stefan off and distract the key players. Who else would it be?" Damon huffed, but he didn't look at her. In fact, it seemed he was pointedly trying not to look at her.

"You're right," Bonnie confirmed simply.

Elena dared a glance over at Stefan. His face was unreadable, but she knew this was probably his worst nightmare come true. Klaus had definitely hit the mark with this one. Elena noticed that Damon was assessing Stefan, too.

"Ok, here's what we do," Damon suddenly came to life. "Caroline, you go sweet talk Klaus, see what you can find out. Bonnie, you have to break the spell. Let's you, me, and Elena stay here and work on that now. Everyone else can go until we know more."

Listening to Damon bark orders suddenly had Elena very turned on. This was one of her favorite things about him. He played the hero to the tee. His take charge attitude. The way he formed a plan, delegated the parts, and executed it without hesitation. His willingness to do just about anything to get the job done. The way he did all these things for her without thinking twice. Her heart swelled, and it took her a moment to notice Bonnie was speaking.

"Well, wait. Breaking the spell may not even be necessary," Bonnie sighed. "We don't even know if the spell worked. It only works if the couple in question is…" She stopped abruptly.

"Is what, Bonnie?" Elena practically begged. She hadn't had the courage to speak up and tell them all that the spell had definitely worked. Not yet. But now she knew that Damon hadn't either. And if the visions were shared, then he definitely knew.

"Well, the spell was created as a wedding gift, meaning it was meant for lovers. So, for the spell to work," Bonnie paused, shrugging, "the couple has to be in love."


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: I'm having so much fun writing this, and I'm loving the reviews. Keep 'em coming! And don't worry, the smuts coming. Hang in there with me.

Chapter 3

Damon couldn't believe what he'd just heard. His eyes caught Elena's for half a second before she cast her eyes down to her lap. He knew what she must have seen in his: wonder and mystification, but above all that, elation.

Love. She loved him. He fought the urge to vamp her up the stairs, push her up against a wall, and kiss her senseless. She couldn't deny her feelings anymore. Not after this. The truth was written right there for both of them to see. The truth was written all over his poor sheets from that insanely hot vision he'd had of her – with her? - last night. Now he knew why it was so hot. It was literally magic. Still, having these visions at night was one thing, but having them in the middle of the day when he was trying to get stuff done was going to be uncomfortable. Just in the last five minutes, he had already had several. Thank God they hadn't been as full blown as last nights had been. Instead, they had consisted of quick flashes pulled from last night's vision. _And the one where she caressed my face right here on the couch. That one was totally different,_ he conceded.

Damon looked over at Stefan and knew right away that he couldn't admit that the visions were already taking place. Elena would hate him, for one. But mostly, it wasn't anyone else's God damn business. He had to get rid of everyone else so he could talk to Bonnie and Elena alone.

"Let's just say, for the sake of argument," Caroline delicately began, "that the spell works. What can you do to break the spell?"

Bonnie looked uncomfortable again. _Why did you call everyone here for this? Why didn't you just ask to talk to me and Elena?_ Damon chided her in his head. Bonnie finally relented, "You can't break the spell."

Stefan didn't miss a beat. "There's always an out, Bonnie."

"Now, I didn't say there wasn't an out, Stefan. The out is actually built into the spell. You just can't break the spell any other way."

Understanding dawned on Damon. He knew exactly what was about to come out of her mouth.

"The couple has to consummate their relationship in order to break the spell." She said too quickly, looking away into the empty fireplace.

Damon spared a sideways glance at Elena, noticing immediately that she was obviously flustered. He couldn't help it. He knew he should rip his eyes away, say something to the group, distract them, disperse them, but he just couldn't. Instead, Damon found himself envisioning rubbing his thumb over her crimson cheek and kissing her jawline until…

Elena squirmed next to him. The motion didn't do anything to help dissipate the fantasy beginning in his head. On the contrary, it only fueled him on. He imagined grabbing her by her hips, pulling her over to straddle him, having her wiggle on top of him instead of…

Elena's breath hitched next to him and she began unconsciously rubbing her neck with one hand as she gripped the couch cushion with the other.

* * *

Bonnie's eyes narrowed at Damon and Elena. Something was up, she was sure. Damon, usually confident and bossy, was suddenly very quiet. And Elena hadn't said a word in quite some time. In fact, she looked dazed. Maybe that was to be expected though, considering everything she'd just told them. Still…"Ok, everyone. There's not much we can do about this now. We don't even know if this ridiculous spell will work. No use worrying about it at the moment. I like Damon's original plan. Let's find out what Klaus has up his sleeve and do something about it. Caroline, let us know as soon as you have any information. In the meantime, let's all just do our best to act like everything is normal. We'll all talk soon."

With that, everyone began to disperse. Matt and Jeremy left for work. Tyler walked out with Caroline, heatedly discussing just how much she should flirt with Klaus in order to get the goods. Stefan sighed and walked up to Bonnie. "Hey. Do you mind if we head back to your place. I thought maybe we could go through all the grimoires. Maybe we can find a loophole to this spell that you haven't thought of."

Gently, Bonnie touched Stefan's arm while waiting for him to look at her. Once she had his attention, she whispered, "Stefan, there isn't another way. I promise you."

"I know you think that, and maybe you're right. Just give me this. Please, Bonnie," he implored, pleading with her. "Just until Caroline finds something out and we can get a real plan together.

"Ok, Stefan. Sure. I'll meet you there in five minutes. I just want to talk to Damon and Elena real fast," Bonnie said, dismissing Stefan from the room. He walked out without even looking at Damon or Elena.

* * *

With everyone leaving, Elena took the opportunity to spring to her feet and move as far away from Damon as humanly possible without seeming obvious. Ok, it has probably been pretty obvious. But her love for him had all but been exposed in the last five minutes. She had been trying her hardest to push the feelings away for so long that now they were laid bare, she didn't know what to do. She had never really even admitted her feelings to herself, much less to all her friends. And Damon himself, of course. _Ugh. And Stefan!_ And to top it all off, she was horny as fuck. She'd just been having one of the visions. She was straddling him, right there on the couch, grinding her hips into his erection. The vision had dissipated as quickly as it had come, but she had to admit she wanted more.

When the room had officially emptied, Bonnie started to speak, but Damon held up a hand to stop her. He counted down silently on his hand from five, waiting for all the vampires to be far enough away that the next part of their conversation would not be overheard.

When Damon gave the all clear, Bonnie didn't miss a beat, "So when did the visions start?"

Elena's cheeks flared red once again.

"Last night," they both answer in unison.

"Ok," Bonnie said calmly, casting a sympathetic look at her best friend, "from what I understand, the visions progress through stages. I'm not sure how each stage differs, but I do know that each vision is shared between the two of you and each one is, well…is intimate." She cringed at the last part of her statement before moving on. "The only other thing I know is that the visions won't stop until **you** stop them." She glanced at Elena, hesitating only slightly before making her next suggestion. "Maybe you guys could just go ahead and get it over with, then we can get back to focusing on what's important."

"Fuck yea," Damon said immediately. He had foreseen where Bonnie was going with her little therapy session, but he also knew that Elena would never go for it. Not that easily anyway. That wouldn't stop him from having a little fun with the idea though. In fact, now that Bonnie had brought up the idea, he couldn't get it out of his head.

Damon glanced over at Elena. She still wasn't meeting his eye. _Great sign_. She didn't even know how hot she was, standing there all vulnerable and unsure. He wanted to throw her down on the couch and bury himself in her neck. He wanted to run his hands up and down her sides until she sighed with pleasure. He wanted to unzip her skinny jeans and peal them off her, spread her legs wide, and taste her with his tongue.

Damon vaguely noticed Elena's heart rate had increased and her breath had shorted, but he was too busy thinking about what they could do to concentrate on what was actually going on. Then Bonnie's voice interrupted his thoughts.

"Elena, are you having a vision now?" she asked, concern plastered all over her face.

"No," Damon started to say, but then he noticed Elena nodding yes as her breathing began to return to normal. "I was," she admitted sheepishly. "It's over now, I guess."

"But I wasn't…" Damon trailed off. He wasn't having an unbidden erotic vision like he'd had the night before, but he was most certainly having a fantasy of Elena. One of his very own creation. A thought struck him. "Elena," he snapped, authority coating his voice. He knew it was the only way she would listen. "Fantasize about me," he smoldered.

"What?!" She was definitely looking at him now, face aghast, eyes blazing. "Damon, we don't have time for your games. I think we have enough erotic dreams floating around without me purposefully-"

"Elena, you don't understand," He pleaded, wanting to stand up and grab her hand, but not wanting to remove the pillow covering his hard on. "I wasn't having a vision just now. I was just fantasizing about what Bonnie had said. I was imagining you under me on this couch. I was picturing licking your-

"Ok, we get the picture, Damon," Bonnie scolded.

But Elena's face went ghost white in an instant. The lustful moments he had depicted were the exact ones she'd been experiencing just a few moments ago. "So what you're suggesting is, whenever one of us fantasizes about the other, it becomes-"

"It becomes a shared fantasy," Damon finished.

"Fuck," Elena didn't curse much, but right now it was pretty warranted. Damon would know every time she accidently let her mind wander to thoughts of him. And she wouldn't be able to escape whenever he let himself think of her. Her eyes widened in horror as she realized she had been thinking of him in compromising positions just minutes before. _And he knows I was. Oh, God!_

"No, no, this is good," Bonnie said excitedly.

"How on earth is this good, Bonnie?" Elena's voice rose an octave as she tried and mostly failed to hold off the hysteria rising within her.

"Don't you see? You guys can control it. If you are the ones initiating the shared visions, then you don't have to have any at all. Just don't think about the other person in that way, and you'll be fine," She assured.

"Yea. Fine." Elena said in a small voice, sounding nothing close to fine.

"I've gotta go, Elena. Stefan's waiting for me. Do you want me to tell him any of this?" Bonnie asked Elena.

Instead, Damon answered caustically, "No, Bon-Bon. What, were you seriously born yesterday? You absolutely cannot tell my baby brother any of this. He's been through enough, don't you think? Just go over there, placate him with smiles and reassurances. Pretend to look through a few spell books, and Elena and me will handle the rest. Got it?"

"Fine." Bonnie reluctantly hugged Elena goodbye and walked out the door.

* * *

And just like that, they were alone. Elena sighed and ran both hands through her hair as she paced in front of the fireplace. _Fucking Damon_ , Elena thought angrily as she noticed that Damon still hadn't moved from his spot on the couch. _How the hell is he staying so calm,_ she wondered. She was a wreck. _Ok, Elena. You're an adult. Well, basically an adult….Ugh! The man you're in love with just found out how you feel about him. What are you going to do?_

Elena's thoughts were racing. She clearly hadn't been ready for this confession, yet she didn't want to screw things up between them now that it was out in the open. She stopped pacing and turned to look at Damon head on. He was deep in thought, gazing off into the distance, but when he noticed Elena still across from him, he returned his attention to her.

Coming to sit next to him again on the couch, she cleared her throat in preparation for a speech, but he held a finger in front of her mouth.

"Elena," his soft voice sent shivers down her spine, "you don't have to say anything."

She grabbed his finger from her mouth and briefly thought about licking it. Damon smirked and Elena flushed as she realized he had experienced that thought right along with her. She ignored it, though, and clasped his hand in hers instead. "I want to," she said simply. Then she took a deep breath and confessed. "Damon, I think I've been in love with you for a very long time. It's just never that easy, is it?"

He shook his head but didn't interrupt her.

Elena continued, "You told me once that we were right together, just the timing wasn't right. I think you were spot on, Damon. I know you don't want to hear this. I know you're sick of Stefan getting in your way, but-"

"Elena, you're wrong," Damon whispered, giving her hands a reassuring squeeze.

"About which part?" She asked genuinely.

"About Stefan. He's my brother, Elena. I know we can't do this to him right now. Not with where his heads at. We could lose him. I don't want that either." He brought his other hand away to cup her face.

Elena felt relief flood through her body. She was so sure he'd be hurt or even angry. A part of her had been worried about what he would do. Elena couldn't help but remember Jeremy's lifeless body sprawled across her floor not too long ago after a similar conversation. But Damon was changing. And this conversation was wholly different in the fact that Elena returned his love, even if she refused to act on it just yet. He had become her best friend, and in that moment, despite everything going on around her, she felt happy.

Elena smiled over at him, "So what do we do?"

"Well, for starters," Damon began as he leaned in to kiss her forehead, "you've got to stop fantasizing about me when I'm in a room full of people." And with that, he pulled the pillow off his lap. Elena burst into laughter.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Once Caroline got back to Elena's with a stack of dresses and a suit case full of make-up and hair tools, Damon felt like it was safe to leave. He all but skipped down the sidewalk to his Camaro. He felt like a school girl. He couldn't wipe this damn smile off his face. _It's ok. I get to be happy for half a minute,_ he thought as he started his car and cranked up the radio. His plan was simple: stay as far away from Stefan as possible until he was sure Elena wasn't going to have any steamy fantasies that left him visibly altered. Damon smirked to himself at the thought. _I'll have to remember to go by the old witch house and thank those kinky minxes for concocting such a fabulous spell._

He hadn't been driving ten minutes when it happened.

* * *

Damon hopped through Elena's window and positioned himself in his place on the window seat. Elena was lying down on her bed deep in thought, but her head whipped around at his entrance.

"Am I interrupting something?" Damon joked, not wanting to miss an opportunity to ruffle her feathers. "I mean, I can come back if you need a few more minutes to get the job done. Or I could help?" He did his signature eye thing for emphasis.

"Actually," Elena smiled coyly, "I wouldn't mind some help. Unless you just want to watch." As she spoke, Elena's hands wondered down her body, caressing her breasts. She let her right hand continue to wonder down her slightly exposed stomach and under the waistband of her navy blue pajama shorts.

Damon nearly fell off his perch on the window. _I'm a hundred and seventy year old vampire for God's sakes. Get it together, Damon._

"Sure, Elena. Just tell me what you want me to do." Damon said, confidence returning. He rose and took off his leather jacket, placing it back on the window seat before slowly meandering over to Elena's bed. He didn't remove his eyes from her for a moment as she stroked herself, moaning softly, eyes closed. Damon's cock twitched in his pants at the beautiful sight laid before him, a sight he never thought he'd actually get to see firsthand.

Elena's heartbeat was increasing, her breath was coming out in small pants, and Damon could smell her arousal. Unconsciously, he unbuttoned his pants and started stroking himself. As much as he wanted to touch her, to feel her under his skin, this was nice, too. But then she said, "Did I just imagine that you offered to help me out? I didn't think you were the kind of guy not to follow through."

That's all it took for him to spring into action. "I'll take that as a challenge," he said as he effortlessly placed himself on top of Elena's legs, grabbing either side of her short shorts. _Can these things technically even be called shorts?_ He slid them down and tossed them aside, forgotten. Then he removed Elena's hand from the diligent work she was doing between her legs, and he licked her finger clean of her essence. She groaned, and Damon's erection hardened further.

He brought his own fingers down to ghost along the outside of her lace panties. He could feel how damp she was even through the fabric. Elena wiggled against his hand, wanting more. "Get on with it then," she ordered.

Without preamble, Damon ripped her panties away with two hands and brought a finger to rest on her clit. He started circling, slowly at first, then faster. Elena moaned.

"You like that?" Damon teased, but she couldn't answer. He saw her white fist the sheets with both hands as he stuck one finger, then another inside of her. She was so wet that they slid in seamlessly. He continued to drive his fingers in and out as he brought his tongue down to swirl around her sex. Elena panted loudly and squirmed. Damon used his other hand to hold down her hips as he continued to work her clit with his tongue. "You taste so good, Elena," He breathed. And he meant it. She tasted better than he could have ever imagined.

Damon could tell she was nearing her release. He sped up his tongue and fingers. Vamp speed came in handy like that. Elena screamed his name. It was the most blissful sound he'd ever heard. Then she went rigid for just a moment before going over the edge. She came hard and long, and he continued to pump her as she rode out her orgasm, her walls pulsing and sliding against his fingers. She sighed. "That. That was amazing," she said.

* * *

Damon knew almost immediately that he was going to have to pull his car over. The vision bombarded him and all his senses went into overdrive. If he didn't stop the car, he was going to run his precious Camaro into a light pole.

Luckily, he wasn't too far from the boarding house. He prayed Stefan wasn't home as he used his vamp speed to run directly to his bathroom. He arrived just as he was going down on Elena in the vision. He groaned. _God, how I wish this was real!_

Damon did the only thing he could do. He pulled out his throbbing erection, grabbed some tissues and some lotion, and went to town. And as the vision wrapped up and Damon came hard into the awaiting tissue, he knew this wasn't going to be the last time he'd have to do this.

* * *

Back in her bedroom, Elena wished, and not for the first time, that she owned a vibrator. In the end, it hadn't been necessary. The vision alone was enough to bring her sweet relief. She could feel every sensation, just as she had the night before, just as Bonnie had said she would. She leaned against her bathroom door, panting, mind foggy, trying to come to her senses. A nagging at the back of her mind reminded her that Caroline was downstairs and would soon be worrying about her whereabouts when her phone rang.

Elena knew that it was Damon before she even looked at the caller ID. Was he calling to apologize? Hadn't they just agreed to do their best not to fantasize, even a little bit, about the other? Was he just messing with her? She wouldn't let him win. She schooled her voice, trying to sound cool and collected, as she answered, "Hello?"

"Elena, what the fuck?! I was driving! I know I'm indestructible, but you could have killed the Camaro." Damon yelled through the phone.

"Damon, what are you talking about?" Elena spat back, defensive. _Is he seriously blaming me for this?_

"We just had this whole heart to heart about keeping our minds to ourselves. I hadn't even been gone ten minutes, Elena!"

"Damon, where do you get off? I didn't do anything. I thought it was you." Elena was seething now.

There was a beat of silence, and then Damon said, "Ok, maybe it's just another stage of the visions?"

Elena had a thought. "Hey, Damon, what about last night? Was that you?" Elena went into her bathroom, shut the door, and turned on the tap before whispering, "You know, the whole 'I want to see you come' fantasy thing…" Elena trailed off.

"No," Damon sighed. "I thought that was you, too." Damon said simply.

"I don't think so. I can't be sure. I mean…I've thought about similar scenarios," Elena admitted, "but none were quite that detailed."

"Same," Damon relented.

"Maybe it's our subconscious?" Elena queried.

"Were you asleep just now," Damon asked, incredulous.

"No," Elena sighed. "I was just trying to think of why this vision and last night's vision were different from the ones we were both experiencing earlier today. Do you have any other ideas?"

"I have a working theory, but I may need your help to test it out." She could hear the smirk on his voice.

"Now?" She asked, her body filling with trepidation.

"No time like the present, Elena. It may be a prolonged experiment, though," Damon teased. "After all, now that we've made our observation and I have formed a hypothesis, we have to test that hypothesis, draw a conclusion, then replicate the results. And I think we may need to replicate them several times to be sure."

"Well, aren't you quite the scientist," Elena laughed.

There was a pause on the other end of the line. Elena waited for Damon to explain, but then he said, "Hey, I'll call you back. Stefan just got home."

"Sure. Talk soon." Elena resisted saying 'Love ya, bye,' but just barely.

* * *

"What do you think, Elena?" Caroline asked as Elena walked down the stairs. "Stilettos or wedges?" Caroline sashayed across Elena's foyer, two different shoes on her feet. She looked amazing. As always.

"Definitely the stilettos. Klaus won't be able to resist your long legs in those," Elena confirmed.

"Speaking of resisting long legs…" Caroline trailed off.

Elena looked at her questioningly.

"Well, Damon was over here an awfully long time this afternoon," She said, getting to the point finally.

"Yea, we had a lot to talk about," Elena tried to shrug off the conversation she could feel coming.

"Come on, Elena," Caroline said frustrated. "Tell me what is going on. I know he called you just now. Have the visions started?"

Elena felt bad deceiving Caroline. "Honestly, Car, they started last night. I'm sorry I didn't say anything sooner. We just didn't want everyone to know."

"And by everyone, you mean Stefan," Caroline inferred.

"Well, yea. And maybe not telling my baby brother that I'm constantly having sex dreams would be a good idea," Elena shuddered. Caroline laughed.

"So…you're in love with Damon," she stated. It wasn't a question, but she was still waiting for an answer.

"Car, I know what he did to you, and to all of us. I know he hasn't always been the greatest person. But he's changing," Elena tried to defend her feelings.

"Elena, it's ok. Really. You're right. He's changing. You've changed him," she smiled and Elena smiled back relieved. Then, "So, tell me more about this spell."

Elena sighed. "Well, we figured out that at least some of the visions are triggered when one of us fantasizes about the other. Bonnie thinks it's a good thing, that if we can control them then we can keep from having them, but I'm not so sure."

"Why not?" Caroline asked, intensely interested.

"When you were little did you ever play the pink elephant game? You know, your mom or teacher or friend would say, 'Don't think about pink elephants,' and then all you could think about…" Elena trailed off.

"All you could think about was Damon, naked in the shower." Caroline blurted and both girls burst out laughing. When they had both settled down, Caroline asked, "So, when are you guys going to do the dirty."

"Caroline!" Elena cried, acting appalled but secretly a thrill of desire ran through her entire body.

"Speak of the Devil. I hear Damon's car. That's my cue to head to the Grill to meet Klaus," Caroline hugged Elena and started walking to the door, but then she stopped and turned around. "Hey, Elena?"

"Yea?"

"You know it would be ok if you did," she said.

"Did what?" Elena asked, confused.

She smiled and her voice lowered to a whisper, "If you… _you know_ ….If I remember correctly, he's really good at what he does."

Elena flushed scarlet, pushed her friend out the door and yelled "Good luck!" to her retreating backside as Damon hopped up the front steps.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

Elena ushered Damon in and started walking toward the kitchen. She was nervous, but she had to admit that part of her was excited. "So," she started, sparing a glance over her shoulder as she walked into the kitchen and started unceremoniously unloading the dishwasher, "what do we need to do in order to conduct this experiment of yours." Elena tried her best to concentrate on the mundane task at hand, anything to help keep her voice from shaking.

Well, about that…" Damon trailed off at the exact moment Elena heard a car engine pull up outside her house. Her eyes glanced at the door and then snapped back to Damon.

"What's going on?" she asked, panicking.

"I just saw Stefan at the boarding house. I think this whole spell thing has him in a little bit of a tizzy. He insisted on being the one to stay with you tonight. I said he needed to ask you…" Damon hesitated. "Look, Elena," he came closer and whispered quickly in her ear. "I know we have stuff we need to figure out, but this – Stefan wanting to help – it's a good thing. I don't think we should discourage it."

Elena looked at him quizzically, surprised he would do anything to encourage Stefan spending more time with her. "Ok, that's all well and good, Damon, but what if I have one of those dream visions while he's here?!" Elena whisper yelled.

"I don't think you will. Were you alone when the last one happened?" his eyes raised, questioningly.

Elena thought back. "Yes. I had gone upstairs to grab a clutch out of my closet. Caroline was downstairs. Why?"

Damon's eyes bored into her. Elena felt, not for the first time, as if Damon could see into her soul. "My theory, Elena," he whispered as he turned on the tap to further drown out their conversation, "is that the more intense visions only happen when we are in solitude, completely alone. Hopefully I'm right. I usually am, you know?" He smiled smugly.

Elena couldn't help but return his smile. It was infectious.

"And if that's the case," Damon continued, his mood suddenly darkening, "then all you have to do is make sure Stefan never leaves you alone."

 _Easier said than done,_ Elena thought as Damon vamp sped to the other side of the kitchen. When Stefan walked in moments later, Damon was flipping through a magazine on the other side of the kitchen island looking bored.

"Took you long enough to get here, Brother," Damon said as he walked out of Elena's house without even a glance behind him. In her head, however, Elena was experiencing a goodbye kiss that left her week in the knees. She had to pretend to drop a fork just so she could bend down to catch her breath.

"Ok, Matt, keep us posted," Stefan said into his phone as he paced back in forth in front of Elena's dresser.

Elena sat on her bed, throwing her hair in a ponytail. "What did he say?" She asked eagerly. Matt was working at the Grill, keeping an eye on Caroline and Klaus. Elena had a feeling that Damon might have made his way over there, too, but she couldn't be sure. She hadn't heard from him since he had fantasy kissed her in the kitchen in front of Stefan and walked out the door. In any case, Elena never really worried about Caroline anymore. Her friend had really come into her own now that she was a vampire. She was strong and confident and beautiful. No wonder Klaus had taken a liking to her.

Stefan sighed. "Well, he can't hear anything that's going on, obviously, but he says it seems to be going well. He called because it looks like they are about to leave."

"Is anyone set to keep tabs on her if they leave the Grill," Elena asked, trying to sound innocent.

"Yea, it was supposed to be me, but Damon is taking care of it now," Stefan answered, not willing to look at her. Tension was thick in the room. Elena suddenly felt suffocated. "Elena, I…"

Stefan looked so serious, so defeated. Elena felt like a coward, but she just wasn't ready to have this conversation with him. _Avoid, avoid, avoid._ "I'm tired. I think I'm going to turn in. Do you mind shutting out the light?"

Stefan looked chagrined, but he did as he was asked. "I'll just head downstairs. I'll be in the living room if you need me."

Elena shot back up, "No!" Then realizing how absurd she must sound, she schooled her voice and said, "No, do you mind staying in here. I mean, ever since this whole Klaus thing started, I haven't been able to sleep well alone," She lied. "Maybe you could just sit on the window seat?"

"Sure, Elena," Stefan said, returning to her bedroom. "I'll just sit here and read, if that's ok?"

Elena nodded. With that, Stefan picked _Frankenstein_ from Elena's bookcase and started reading. Elena laid back down, purposely facing the other wall, and after many long and agonizing minutes, she finally fell asleep.

Elena woke up with a pounding headache and pain running up and down her right leg. After a moment of disorientation, she realized she was in a car. Then panic overtook her as she remembered flipping her car, a vampire in a hoodie, and then nothing. She spun around to assess the driver, readying herself for a fight if necessary, and came face to face with Damon's sky blue eyes and insufferable smirk. Relief flooded through her, followed by fury after learning they were in Georgia. _What the fuck, Damon?_

Elena made Damon pull over. She was panicked and mildly annoyed. No one knew where she was or what had happened to her. What if someone found her car upside down on the side of the road?! But then Damon made a compelling argument in favor of their little road trip. _It sure would be nice to escape my life for a day,_ she thought. And that's how Elena found herself back in Damon's car, heading to some random bar on the outskirts of Atlanta.

They had been driving for a few minutes, when Damon broke the silence, "You know, last time I was on this road, I had a pretty little blond thing in the seat next to me. She gave fantastic road head."

Elena blanched. "Damon, you are sick."

"Am I? I bet it's something you've never done before. You might even find you like it. I wouldn't tell Stefan, you know."

"Damon, I am absolutely not giving you road head," Elena fumed.

"You're just chicken. You think you wouldn't be any good?" Damon teased.

"Damon," Elena turned and touched his chest suggestively and in her sultriest voice said, "I'd be so good, you'd run your precious Camaro into a ditch." She slid her hand back across his chest as she started to turn back toward her window.

But Damon grabbed her hand, moving it slowly down his chest and abs to the bulge in his pants. "I say, put your money where your mouth his." He grinned wickedly.

Elena's eyes widened in shock, but she was perhaps more surprised by the sudden heat she felt in her abdomen. She found that she couldn't look away from his mouth. Without even realizing what she was doing, Elena continued to move her hand over his erection.

"Unzip it, Elena," Damon breathed, "you know you want to."

Elena shivered, and after a moment's hesitation, she reached over with her other hand and undid his belt buckle. _I'm escaping my life for the day. This'll be fun. I can always have him compel me to forget this,_ Elena's thoughts raced.

She pulled down his zipper and gasped at Damon's rock hard cock. It was huge. Much bigger than Stefan's. She wondered briefly if she would even be able to deep throat it. _Try, try again,_ she thought bitingly as she gave Damon one last look and lowered her head.

Elena started by teasing the tip of his member with her tongue. Then she placed just the head in her mouth and slid up and down the lip of his shaft. Damon shifted and sighed. She licked up and down his shaft and used her hands to pump while she played with his head. The car swerved slightly and the knowledge that she was successfully affecting his driving abilities made Elena smile around his cock. Damon reached over with his right hand and began feeling Elena up. He rubbed his hand up and down her body, caressing her thigh, then rubbing the palm of his hand up her stomach to her breast where he squeezed gently before repeating the process. Elena began humming around his cock, and Damon moaned. Then, after a small pep talk, she took his shaft down her throat and backed it up in an agonizingly slow motion. She did it again, trying not to gag around his girth. Then she sped up the rhythm. Damon stopped the car abruptly and leaned back in his seat, unable to concentrate on anything else but her.

"I'm close, Elena," he managed.

She continued to pump up and down his length like her life depended on it. Damon couldn't help it. His hips bucked. He wanted to fuck her mouth. He wanted to fuck her, right here on the side of the Georgia highway. And with that thought fresh in his mind, Damon came hard in Elena's mouth.

Elena sat up as gracefully as possible and swallowed as Damon re-zipped. "You were right," he said.

"About what?" Elena asked, confused.

"You were so good, I nearly ran my Camaro into a ditch."

Elena felt a satisfied smile slide across her face.

Stefan was reading the same paragraph for the third time. His thoughts kept sliding back to Elena and how utterly he had failed her the last few months. He knew they would never be able to go back to how things were before, but he wanted desperately to make things right. He needed to save her from Klaus if it was the last thing he did.

Stefan was ripped away from his thoughts by a moan coming from the bed. He shot to his feet in concern, his book left abandoned on the window seat, but Elena seemed fine. He looked her over, noticing the curve of her hips and her luscious breasts. He longed to curl up beside her and stroke her hair.

Elena moaned again and sighed. Then Stefan noticed a whisper of a smile cross her face.

Agitated now, Stefan moved even closer to the bed. It wasn't necessary, of course. He would have been able to tell from downstairs that Elena's breathing and heartrate were increasing. It was just the utter disbelief that brought him closer to her side. Suddenly, she went rigid. Then she turned over with a satisfied sigh and breathed out Damon's name.

Stefan stilled. What had just happened? But he knew. Instinctively, he knew. It was like a stake to the heart. _The spells working. They're in love._ Had they known or was this the first vision? Stefan thought back to Damon and Elena's behavior the last couple of days. Then he thought even further back to what he'd witnessed since he'd been home. They were awfully close. Hadn't Elena admitted to him that Damon had become her best friend? And then Bonnie had stayed behind to talk to them alone the day before. At the time, he'd thought little of it, but now…

Stefan grabbed the book off the window seat and threw it across the room with such force that it dented Elena's wall. Elena woke with a start, immediately sitting upright. Stefan just glared at her, love and hate waring inside his head. A look of guilt clouded Elena's beautiful face, and in that instant, all doubt left him.

Stefan looked away, hesitated for only a moment, then jumped out her window and was gone.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

Damon stood in the bathroom stall at the Grill and gripped the top of the door with both hands as he leaned his head against the metal. He took a deep breath and tried to regain his composure. He didn't know how much more of this he could take. It was all too real, too sensual, and he already wanted her so badly. He knew one thing for sure. He'd never be able to drive her around in his Camaro again.

Attempting to shake away the images that still plagued him, Damon headed back into the main restaurant. His thoughts turned instead to why the visions had occurred. His theory was that the more intense visions only occurred when they were all alone, so he'd told Elena to keep Stefan close, even though it killed him to do so. He couldn't help wondering what they were doing. What they were talking about. Were they making up? Were they being intimate? But Damon knew that Elena had been distant with Stefan ever since he'd gained his freedom from Klaus. Nothing had been the same. And she loved _him_ now, didn't she? Although that didn't mean she didn't still love Stefan. But her distance from Stefan and her growing feelings for him might explain why the vision had occurred. Maybe Stefan had noticed it, too. Maybe she had even told him the truth. He could have simply refused to stay in the same room with her.

With these thoughts swirling around in his mind, Damon sat back down on his bar stool and shook his empty shot glass at Matt. He vaguely noticed Klaus and Caroline were gone. Matt was cleaning up the bar, getting ready to close up for the night. Matt looked up and started to say something when his cell rang.

"It's Rebekah," Matt frowned down at his pone. "What would she want?" he looked toward Damon at this.

As if Damon would have a clue what Rebekah Mikaelson, a one thousand year old, original vampire and hot piece of ass would want with Matt Donovan. Damon simply shrugged. _Best not to piss off Matt and have to hear about it from Elena_. Instead, he said, "Why don't you answer it and find out."

Matt answered the phone and walked away into the kitchen. _Why do humans do that,_ he thought. _He has to know that I can still hear every word. And he forgot my shot,_ Damon fumed.

Bored, Damon decided to walk outside to wait for Matt. He would have the big oaf fill him in on the details regarding the phone call. He didn't need to hear every ridiculous word. He grabbed the bottle of tequila and walked outside.

Taking a chug out of the bottle, Damon turned and noticed Stefan walking toward him from the direction of Elena's house. "Stefan, what's wrong? Is Elena…"

Damon was interrupted by a right hook across his jaw, and he fell hard toward the pavement, glass shattering as the bottle collided with the ground. "What the fuck, Stefan!" He yelled, as he pulled himself back up, readying himself to fight back. "This was a nearly full bottle of booze, too."

"Is that all you have to say, Damon," Stefan seethed.

Damon's first thought was that maybe Stefan had been compelled by Klaus again, but then he studied Stefan's face. The rage was there, but it was mixed with something else. Betrayal, maybe? Then it hit Damon like a stack of bricks. _He knows._

"Where's Elena?" Damon asked, calmly.

"She's in her bedroom, probably recovering from the amazing vision she just had. But then you knew that already, didn't you?" Stefan snarled.

Damon winced. What could he say? "Look, Stefan, obviously the spell worked." He shrugged, "It's not a big deal. So she has feelings for me. We all already knew that. We aren't – she isn't acting on it." Damon was hoping he could downplay everything. If Stefan wanted to be mad at him, then fine, but he didn't want Elena to suffer more than she already had at his brother's expense.

"Don't. Don't do that, Damon. The spell doesn't work just because you care about someone. It's love, Damon. She's in love with you." Stefan was all fury and despair. The veins under his eyes were beginning to swirl and pop. Damon could feel they were on the razors edge. A disaster of epic proportions was about to unfold.

"When did the visions start, Damon? How long have you both been keeping this from me? Did you know this morning?" Stefan spewed.

Defeated, Damon decided to tell the truth. "They started last night, but we didn't know what was going on until Bonnie…"

As Damon relayed the information, Matt walked out of the Grill.

"Great timing, as usual, Donovan," Damon deadpanned.

Stefan saw Matt and his fangs extended. He growled low and angry. Matt's head whipped around from where he was busy locking up. His eyes widened in fear.

As Stefan lunged, Damon grabbed him by the head and shoulders and yanked, breaking his neck in one swift motion.

"What the hell happened?" Matt came running over. "Do you think Klaus was behind it?"

Damon shook his head and said simply, "No, I was behind it." Damon turned to look at Matt full on. "What did Blondie Bex want?"

"Umm, uh, yea," Matt stuttered, still in shock. "She wants me to come over. Says Klaus is having a little party. Caroline is there, so I figured I'd go and keep an eye out."

"Yea, good idea," Damon said, looking down at his brother broken at his feet. As an afterthought, he yelled, "Hey, Donovan! Don't get yourself killed!" Then he picked Stefan up, threw him over his shoulders, and carried him across the street to Ric's apartment.

* * *

Damon had left Elena alone, unprotected, for longer than he had intended. He'd had a lot to explain to Ric, whom they'd purposefully been keeping out of the loop since his magic Gilbert ring had started acting all wonky. It would be just like Ric to go and get himself killed. _I mean, literally. How many times has he died with that ring on? I mean, not counting the time or two I killed him even._

Damon took out his phone and texted Elena again. She had texted him to tell him about Stefan, but he hadn't had the heart to give her the latest update. _I'll do that in person_ , he cringed. Then he got into his car and drove toward Elena's.

* * *

Elena couldn't sit still. At first, she sat on the third step, elbows on knees, waiting on Damon to walk through the door. Then, feeling a little too obvious, she moved to the couch. She tried flipping on the TV as a distraction, but she couldn't focus. She left the TV on and headed back upstairs. She grabbed her journal and sat on her bed, clicking the pen repeatedly, unable to put words to paper. She felt guilt, of course. She never meant to hurt Stefan. She never, ever meant to develop feelings for Damon. It had just happened. But if she were honest with herself, guilt wasn't the primary emotion she was feeling.

Relief. Sweet relief.

He knew.

Not only did he know, but he knew without her actually having to utter the words, 'I'm in love with Damon.' She hadn't had to watch his face as she hurt him. She knew that it wasn't over, that she'd have to talk to him at some point. She'd have to explain. She'd have to decide what she wanted – _whom_ she wanted – but maybe the worst was over. _Coward._

Elena's thoughts were interrupted by the door slamming shut downstairs and footsteps in the foyer. Her heart jumped in anticipation. At the last second, she thought to hide her journal, although it was probably unnecessary. Damon had to know where she kept it. If he wanted to read it, he easily could.

"No window entrance tonight?" she asked, as she looked up at his achingly beautiful face. _Why do I feel nervous?_

Damon smiled a genuine smile. "Do I need a do-over?"

"The door just feels so domestic," she joked back.

"You know me. 'Domestic' is my middle name." He sat down on the bed and stretched out, placing his hands behind his head and leaning back against the head board.

"Make yourself comfortable," Elena smiled.

Damon began to reach down for the hem of his shirt. He mocked pulling it over his head.

"Stop! What are you doing?" Elena grabbed his hands to pull the shirt back down but not before glancing at his chiseled abdomen. Her pulse quickened.

"You said to make myself comfortable," Damon said more seriously. He locked eyes with Elena, and she became all too aware that her hands were still on his. But she didn't remove them. Instead, she allowed her eyes to roam his face, settling on his mouth, and she unconsciously shifted her body closer to his.

Suddenly, Elena was pulled into a fantasy. Damon was kissing her hard and insistent. He picked her up to straddle him and Elena ground into his erection. Elena found his hands again and brought them to her chest. He slid them down, allowing his thumbs to work her nipples until they hardened. He reached down to yank off her top….

"Damon, stop!" Elena yelled and jerked back.

Damon stood and started pacing. "I didn't mean…I just wanted to kiss you, and…"

"Damon, it's ok," Elena whispered. And she meant it. If it hadn't been his fantasy that exploded in her head, then it would have been hers. That or they would actually be kissing right now.

Damon spun around, throwing his hands in the air. "It's not ok, Elena! I basically mind raped you."

Elena didn't know what to say. Should she make light of the situation? Change the subject? Admit how she'd been wanting the same thing? She decided on option two.

"Let's just talk about something else. Did you see Stefan? After he left, I didn't know what to do."

"Yea, I saw him all right," Damon laughed once. "My jaw got up close and personal with his fist. I'm going to go out on a limb here and say he figured it out."

Elena resisted the urge to go to him now, to check his face for bruises. She knew there wouldn't be any. Instead, she said, "I'm honestly not sure what happened. I went to sleep. Last I knew, he was on the window seat reading. I woke up to my book hitting the wall. I remember the vision…" Elena trailed off, cheeks reddening. She looked away but not before she saw Damon's cocky half smile reflected at her in her dresser mirror.

"You must've done something or said something in your sleep. My question is, do you think he left you alone at all. Maybe he left and came back?"

"I don't know, Damon. I doubt it. I told him I was scared and asked him not to leave," Elena explained. "I don't think he would've left me alone, even for a minute."

"Then my theory about us needing to be alone to cause the visions must be wrong," Damon admitted, pensive.

Elena rubbed her temples with her fingers and tried to think. An idea was nagging her, but she couldn't quite grasp it. "The fantasy visions only seem to work when we're in the same room, right?"

"How d'you figure?" Damon asked, intrigued.

Elena's cheeks flushed red again. She wanted to hide her head inside a paper bag. "Well, you haven't mentioned…I mean, I haven't had any…"

"You've been fantasizing about me when I'm not here, is that it? And you assume that, since I haven't mentioned it, that I haven't experienced it with you." Damon said, coming to stand in front of her. "Is that it, Elena?" he asked, cupping her face in his hand and turning it to look at him.

Elena simply nodded.

"Ok, so if that's the case – and we're going to need to test that theory, by the way. You know, just to be sure – But if that's the case, then it stands to reason that the fantasy visions occur only when we're together and the intense visions occur only when we're apart." Damon clapped his hands and smiled, looking victorious. The puzzle had been unraveled.

"Sounds logical that the different visions would depend upon us and only us. I think you're on to something. Maybe we should run it by Bonnie?" Elena asked.

"What? No. She already said she doesn't know anything. I think we just need to apply the scientific method, and we'll have this all figured out by tomorrow."

Elena sighed. She felt nervous, but the anticipation was almost intoxicating. Tonight was either going to be pure torture or pure Heaven.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

"Alright, Elena. I think it's only fair that you have a turn," Damon smiled coyly.

"Elaborate, please," Elena said, rolling her eyes. She knew she was in so much trouble.

"I got to romp around in your head for a bit; now you can romp around in mine," Damon winked.

"I don't know, Damon…" Elena started.

"Start slow. You can do this. Just imagine kissing me." He shrugged and did his signature half smile. "It's just research."

Elena took a deep breath, closed her eyes, and tried to prepare herself. What could she possibly fantasize that would remotely impress Damon. His sexual prowess far superseded her own, and not just in number of partners. He probably knew how to do things to her that she literally couldn't even imagine. The thought sent chills down her spine. She tried to push the insecurity to the back of her mind and think rationally. What could she do?

"Elena. I'm waiting," Damon sing-songed.

Elena groaned. Not only was this whole exercise making her feel insecure, but it was also making her feel very vulnerable. If she imagined kissing Damon right now, it may be just a fantasy to him, but it would be real to her. She'd be showing him what she really wanted with every touch, taste, and sigh. If she did this, there was no going back.

She looked over at Damon, assessed him, took in his ice-blue eyes and mussed black hair. She allowed her feelings for him to wash over her. She let in the attraction, yes, but also the love. In her mind, she imagined walking toward him and placing her hands on his chest. She wanted to feel his sturdiness, to know in her fingers and in her bones that this was the man that protected her with all he had. She imagined running her hands up to his hair, running her fingers through it. She imagined it would feel like fine silk. It would feel exotic, intoxicating. Finally, she imagined pulling his head toward hers and…

"Good. That's good," Damon was saying. "Keep going."

Elena was vaguely aware of Damon moving across the room. Her eyes were unfocused and she was finding it harder to breathe properly.

In her head, she pulled Damon's lips to hers and chastely kissed them. She rubbed her thumbs on his jaw bone as she deepened the kiss, parting his lips with her tongue, tasting him, wanting him closer. She explored his mouth with her tongue and bit lightly on his lower lip. She imagined him pulling away to kiss behind her ear and down her jaw line.

"Ok, Elena, I'm down the stairs. I'm still seeing the vision. Try shutting your door, but don't stop," Damon yelled up from the foyer.

Elena was so engrossed in her fantasy that she barely heard. Her skin was on fire. She was tingling all over. She was imagining him kissing her neck. The kissing was gentle but insistent, and it deepened with each passing moment. Then he began nibbling with blunted teeth right on her pulse point. Elena's heart raced.

Elena shut her door as she imagined Damon's face begin to shift. In her fantasy, he looked up at her with questioning eyes, unsure eyes. Elena nodded. She wanted this. She was so curious about this moment, what it would feel like and what it would mean. She'd imagined it before, but only ever with Damon. It never crossed her mind to think of being intimate in this way with Stefan, not before when he only ever drank from animal blood. And after? Well, after, if she was honest, she hadn't fantasized about Stefan at all.

Caroline had told her once what Damon had done to her when he'd first gotten to town. When he'd been an altogether awful excuse for a decent person. She hadn't gone into too much detail, really, but Caroline had told her enough. She had told Elena about how, when they had sex, Damon would bite her. At the time, Elena thought it was sick, but now…

She imagined him extending his fangs, bending her head gently down, and rubbing a finger down her neckline, slowly. Seductively. Then he bent down and pierced her soft flesh with his sharp teeth. Elena's whole body convulsed with pleasure. She nearly came with the sensation of it all. As she imagined Damon sucking and nibbling at her neck, she had to sink to her knees on the floor. It was all too overwhelming.

Damon burst back into the room, breaking her reverie.

"Are you ok? What happened?" He said, suspiciously looking around the room. Seeming satisfied that nothing was amiss, he looked back at Elena. "I called your name like three times. Once you shut the door, the fantasy ended. You were right."

"That's great," Elena managed, flustered. When had she shut the door? Did he realize what she had just fantasized about? She hadn't even meant to go there. It had just happened. What would he think if he knew?

Noticing her change in mood, Damon said, "Why don't we take a break from our science experiment. Watch a move?"

"Sure," Elena said, grateful. "I don't think I could go back to sleep now anyway." With that, Damon reached out his hand to help Elena up off the floor.

* * *

A half hour later, Elena was snuggled into the crook of Damon's arm, eating popcorn and watching _Die Hard_ , when her phone buzzed.

Damon raised his eyes questioningly.

"Caroline," Elena said. "She says she made it home safely. She wants to know if we want details now or tomorrow?"

"Now. Call her," Damon said. "I'll make some tea. Do you want some?" Damon's eyes flashed and Elena felt a jolt in her abdomen.

"Sure. Chamomile," Elena managed in a normal voice. "Thank you," she added as she smiled and headed up the stairs to call Caroline.

* * *

"Oh my God, Elena," Caroline moaned into the phone.

"What's wrong, Car," Elena laughed. She could tell this was going to be good.

"Can Stefan hear me?" she asked worriedly.

"No, um, he isn't here," Elena answered, not sure what all she should tell Caroline.

"What? Why? Are you ok? Are you alone? I can come stay on your couch again," Caroline offered.

No, no. It's ok. I'll explain it to you later. Damon's here. He's downstairs. I don't know if he can hear you, but I doubt it." Elena told Caroline.

"Ok, good. I'm glad you're safe. But now that we've established that, I need your help!" Caroline moaned again.

"Car, what is it?" Elena asked, curiosity peaking.

"It's Klaus. He keeps getting under my skin. I mean, I know he is Satan's spawn. And I hate him. I really hate him. But he's so charming, and so sexy. I just want to rip his clothes off. It's just lust. I'm sure of it. Elena, am I awful?"

Elena laughed. "No, Caroline, you are not awful. Klaus is most definitely awful, but not you. You know what this means, though, don't you?"  
"What?" Caroline groaned again.

"You can't judge me for my feelings for Damon anymore," Elena quipped.

"Ugh. You're right," Caroline sighed. "Thanks for listening, Elena. I really am sorry I've given you such a hard time about Damon. I don't have much to report about tonight otherwise. Klaus didn't give much away. He told me Stefan and Damon are like flies to him, annoying and pesky but not at all threatening. He is more worried that because of them, you will end up turning, ruining any chance he has to sire a hybrid army now or for generations to come. "

Elena took it all in, then asked, "Did he say anything about Bonnie's spell?"

"Not really. He just asked if Stefan, Elena, and Damon were enjoying each other's company these days. I suspect he'll try to goad Stefan a little before this is all over."

"Probably," Elena confirmed not wanting to go any further down that road with Caroline. Instead she asked, "What did Rebekah want with Matt?"

"Matt?" Caroline questioned, concern peppering her voice. "I don't know. I didn't see Rebekah or Matt. Is he with her?"

"Hmm. He told Damon that he was going over to Klaus's at Rebekah's invitation. Maybe they decided to do something else instead? I'll call him in the morning to check in."

"Sounds good, Elena. I'm going to bed," Caroline said. Then she added, "Speaking of goading. I hope you have some very sweet dreams." And with that, Caroline hung up.

* * *

Matt parked his truck in the drive and texted Rebekah that he was out front. She didn't respond. He shrugged, got out of the car, and padded to the door. Before knocking, he picked up his phone and tried calling Rebekah one last time. He could hear her phone ringing inside, but no one answered. Matt took one step back from the door, unsure. He was starting to have a bad feeling about this.

Just when Matt had decided to bag it and head home, the door opened. He turned around to find Klaus smiling and leaning casually against the door jamb.

"The red blooded human male has arrived. Good. We have been expecting you," Klaus said as he opened the front door wide and ushered Matt inside.

As Matt crossed the threshold, he saw Rebekah lying on the floor, cell phone in hand, daggered through the heart. He stopped short, but Klaus was right there.

"Oh, Bekah. Don't mind her. She has always been so rude when it comes to company. No manners whatsoever. I have a thing or two to teach her about being a generous host. Do come in and stay a while," Klaus said shutting the door and tugging Matt into the room.

"Where's Caroline?" Matt asked, seething.

"Caroline and I had a lovely evening, and I walked her to her doorstep like the gentleman I am. She is safe and cozy in bed by now, I expect," Klaus smiled.

"What do you want with me?" Matt demanded angrily.

"I'm so glad you asked," Klaus's eyes glinted. "Follow me."

Matt didn't know what else to do. He knew Klaus was all powerful and cunning, always thinking two steps ahead. If he didn't do what Klaus asked, he was liable to end up dead, so he did the only thing he could do. He followed Klaus into the house.

* * *

Elena bee bopped down the stairs, repositioned herself on the couch, and gratefully accepted a steaming mug of chamomile tea from Damon. She was suddenly in a good mood. Caroline was safe, and for the moment, so was she. She was doing the most normal thing a teenager could do – watching a movie with the boy she liked.

As Damon settled back in beside her, Elena noticed the movie was paused on a shot of Alan Rickman making a maniacal face. Elena laughed.

"What's so funny?" Damon asked.

"Nothing. It's just this actor, trying to look all menacing. He's got nothing on you. I think if the whole Savior of Mystic Falls thing doesn't pan out, you could have a second career training Hollywood actors in the art of villainy."

"That's right. I'm a badass and don't you forget it." Damon joked. He smiled at Elena then asked, "So Caroline is ok…"

Elena nodded.

"And Stefan and I are flies?" Damon finished, letting Elena know that he'd heard every word of their conversation.

"Apparently," Elena smiled. "Badass flies, though, obviously."

Damon laughed and reached over to tuck her hair back behind her ear. Elena shivered at his touch, all mirth leaving her face. "Elena?" he asked.

"Hmm?"

"What happened upstairs?" he asked seriously.

Elena panicked. "What do you mean?" she asked, playing dumb and taking a sip from her tea so she could break eye contact with Damon.

"You know what I mean. The fantasy. I could see it." He leaned toward her. "I was kissing you here." He lightly touched her lips. "And here." He touched behind her ear. "And here." He swept his finger down her jaw line. "And here." He placed his hand on her shoulder and rubbed his thumb over her neck. "And then, for me at least, the visions stopped. So what happened next? Because when I got back upstairs, you seemed pretty shaken up."

Damon hadn't removed his hand from her shoulder, and Elena found it hard to concentrate. He was so close. "Damon, I don't know if you want me to tell you what happened? I don't know how you would react. I don't want to upset you."

Damon snorted. "Elena, we're talking about an erotic fantasy involving you and me. I can't think of anything – short of you staking me in the middle of passionate sex, maybe – that might upset me. So what was it?"

"Damon…." Elena hedged.

"Were we doing it in the butt? Were there sex toys? BDSM?" Damon quipped, trying to lighten the mood. Then his eyes went wide. "A threesome? Please tell me you didn't imagine me and Ste – "

"Damon stop!" Elena cried. "No, none of that. Stop. Please."

Damon waited, eyes boring into her.

"Ok, fine. I imagined…," Elena hesitated, still unsure of what to expect at her admission. "I imagined that you bit me."

Damon blanched. "Elena, I would never – "

"No, Damon. You weren't trying to hurt me," she reassured. "It wasn't like that. It was like, well, it was intoxicating and overwhelming. It felt good. I wanted you to." Elena noticed Damon's face. He was upset. She'd been right about that. But there was another emotion she couldn't put her finger on. "Can it really feel like that?" she asked when he didn't say anything.

Damon shifted away from her and sighed. "I don't know, Elena. I've heard things. I know there are people who like being bitten, but they're usually whack jobs or they're compelled to like it. I know vampires sometimes blood share, and it's considered an act of intimacy. But for a human…" he trailed off.

"I can show you how it felt. I'll recreate the fantasy," Elena suggested.

"No!" Damon stood and walked across the room, running his hand through his hair.

Elena's face fell. It felt like he'd taken a knife to her gut.

Seeing her face, Damon came back to her. He took her tea mug and placed it on the coffee table then returned his hands to her face. He padded her cheek bones with his thumbs before sighing in frustration and standing again.

"Damon, just tell me what you're thinking. You're scaring me," Elena managed.

He shook his head, refusing to talk.

"Damon, do you remember the night you rescued me from the hospital after Klaus took me? The night you weren't there. The night Stefan bit me," Elena asked.

Damon nodded. Eyes distant. "I promised I'd never leave you again."

"Yes, that night. I came-to briefly in the hospital. You were holding the tubing to my IV. It was dripping with my blood and you were staring at it…"

"Are you asking me if I was tempted? Because the answer's yes. Of course I was. It smelled amazing, Elena. But I would never violate you like that. I'm in control of the blood lust. I'm not Stefan," He said this last part pointedly, emphasizing the fact that he had never hurt her, while his brother had.

"But you have thought about it though?" she asked, ignoring the Stefan comment. Elena felt so exposed. This was exactly what she'd been afraid of. Letting him in. Letting him see how she felt. Being rejected.

"Elena, you have to know that I think about it all the time. I think about it almost as much as I think about making love to you. In fact, in my fantasies, we're usually making love when I…" Damon trailed off, unable to say the words.

"It's not like you to be tongue tied, Damon," Elena smiled, starting to feel a little better knowing at least her fantasy had not disgusted him. "If you've thought about it, too, then what's the problem?"

"The problem is, Elena," he began as he came and sat in front of her on the coffee table, "I want that moment to be real. The first time you give yourself to me completely, I want it to be one hundred percent, flesh and blood real. These visions have already robbed us of so many firsts – I mean, not that I'm complaining too much – but some experiences are more sacred, you know?"

Elena nodded. Flesh and blood. In Damon's case, that wasn't just an expression. He wanted her. And not just body and soul, but body, blood, and soul. And she wanted to give that to him.

Elena grabbed Damon by the hand and stood, ready to lead him up the stairs and end the spell, ready to be his once and for all. But before she could speak, he placed a finger in front of her lips and gently shushed her. She looked at him questioningly.

"Elena," he whispered, "I want it to be real, but I also don't want it to be rushed. I don't want it to be because we're ridding ourselves of a spell. I don't want there to be loose ends when it comes to my brother. I don't want you to have any regrets." A single tear rolled down his cheek as he kissed her forehead.

A memory nagged at the back of Elena's head but she couldn't quite grasp it. She felt defeated. She wanted to protest, to tell him she would talk to Stefan later, that she wouldn't regret it, that it wasn't rushed. In fact, it had been a long time coming. But she could tell that he wasn't going to budge. So instead she said, "I'll talk to Stefan tomorrow."

Damon just nodded and said, "Come on. I'll tuck you in. It's been a long night." And he led her up the stairs.

* * *

A/N: First, I'm sorry it's taken me a bit longer to update. I've been sick. You asked for a longer chapter, so I tried to comply. I wanted it to be longer, but I also wanted to get something out to you guys. I promise the next chapter will contain smut galore. And we'll get some answers soon. What's Klaus up to? What's Stefan going to do? Eek! I'm excited. Stay tuned and keep the reviews coming!


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

Damon returned the tea mugs to the kitchen, turned off the TV, and reclined on the couch, arms behind his head. Today had been a day for the books. _If I kept a diary,_ he thought, bemused.

His thoughts drifted back to Elena. He had tucked her in and lain down beside her. He'd wanted with all his might to stay there next to her, to wake up in the morning with her in his arms. And he could tell she'd wanted it, too. In the end, though, they had agreed that they needed to get to the bottom of the visions. So he had left, making sure the door was shut behind him. If Elena's theory was right, then they needed to be apart for the visions to occur. They had decided that if the visions did return, then one of them would need to open the door mid-vision. If the vision ended then Elena's theory would be confirmed.

Damon had a sneaking suspicious that the visions were over for the night and none of this would matter anyway. The visions all seemed to be spaced many hours apart. It'd be too soon for another one to happen again tonight. This knowledge almost made him abandon his place on the couch, but he persisted. _Just in case._

He laid there for several long minutes imagining drinking Elena's warm, rich blood. Then he finally fell asleep.

* * *

Damon walked into Ric's apartment to the sight of Elena pumping iron. She was lying on the bench, bar bell over head, chest heaving. Damon's mind blanked at the sight of her chest. Her breasts were perfect. He walked closer, putting his hand on the bar bell to add resistance, but really he just wanted to get a better look at her overflowing cleavage raked in sweat. He wanted to lick the sweat off of her slowly. His cock twitched in his pants. He was only vaguely aware of Elena chastising him. She let go off the bar and he lifted it easily back into place.

He was able to focus momentarily when Elena brought up the idea of saving Stefan. Damon was skeptical, but he'd do it for her. There wasn't much he wouldn't do for her. Even saving his brother at the expense of his own happiness. But if he was going to do this, he wanted to make sure she wouldn't forget her feelings for him. Damon grabbed her hand and placed it on his chest.

"What're you doing?" Elena asked, confused.

"Feel that? It's the sternum. A solid plate of bone," he said, then he spun her around quickly so that her back was against his chest. He took his right hand and grasped her right palm in what would appear to anyone else as an intimate embrace. He took his other hand and pressed it into her back as he whispered into her ear, "And right here, just below the rib cage, next to the spine, that's your way to a vampire's heart." He noticed her breathing start to stutter. "I'll do whatever it is you need me to do, Elena," he said as he rubbed his nose through her hair and turned her back around. "No one's going to hurt you. Especially not my brother," he finished.

Elena's eyes went directly to Damon's lips before finding his eyes again.

That's all the permission Damon needed. He pulled her close and attacked her lips with his, and she didn't hesitate to kiss him back. He yanked her tank top off over her head, and backed up enough to do the same to his shirt before reattaching himself to her. He kissed her head and hair hungrily, then his lips proceeded down her neck and back behind her ear. As he kissed, Elena stammered, "Ric."

 _What?_ Why was she talking about Ric in this moment? "What about him?" Damon managed between kisses and sucks.

"He'll be back soon. We don't have a lot of time," Elena said in one breath as she reached for his belt buckle, quickly releasing him from his jeans.

"Then we won't dally," he said as he yanked down her yoga pants and panties in one swift motion. He turned Elena around so she was leaning over the bar and rubbed the palm of his hand up her thigh, across her rib cage, and to her breasts. He lightly teased her nipple over the fabric of her sports bra with one hand as he brought his other hand to her clit. He circled his finger over her nub then gently placed a finger inside her opening, intending to ready her for his girth. He sighed in pleasure, "You're already so wet," he moaned.

Elena panted with pleasure and rubbed back into him, arching her back and grinding into his erection. "Don't tease me, Damon."

Damon chuckled as he bent her back over, found the right angle, and slowly entered into her. He pulled her hips back as he thrust forward slightly. Elena's breath hitched and Damon groaned. He'd imagined this moment so many times, but nothing he'd imagined had done it justice. He repeated the motion, just as slowly, savoring every sensation. She was so beautiful, inside and out. He thought if he could just show her, now in this moment, how much he loved her, that it might just make all the difference. He thrust again, gently. Then again. He began picking up the tempo. Elena continued to push back into him as they found their rhythm.

"Touch yourself, Elena." He whispered into her ear when she once again couldn't resist arching her back.

And she complied. He watched over her shoulder as she brought a hand to her chest. She rubbed her fingers over the nipple, applying much needed pressure. Then she squeezed her nipple between her thumb and forefinger. She whimpered his name, and Damon lost the rhythm for just a moment, his body temporarily losing the ability to function properly.

Then a distant noise from the street. The unmistakable sound of Ric on his cell. "Shit. Ric. We have maybe two minutes."

"I'm close. Don't stop." Elena murmured.

Damon bent her back over the bar, bodies slapping as he slammed into her over and over. He was close, too. If he was honest, he'd been ready to burst ever since he stood over her heaving chest on that bench. Unwilling to finish until she did, he reached around and began rubbing her nub again. She started panting faster, and just when he thought he couldn't take it another second, she cried out, arching her back and collapsing against the bar top. Damon spilled out inside of her moments later, and briefly rested on top of her as she lay on the bar.

Then Damon heard Ric opening the building door downstairs. "He's almost here," he said as he pulled away from Elena, grabbed his jeans, and yanked them up. Elena did the same with her pants as Damon grabbed their shirts and threw them into Elena's gym bag. When Ric opened the door, Elena was kicking and throwing punches at Damon and he was blocking them shot for shot with ease.

"You guys got an early start," Ric said, throwing his keys on the bar top.

"You have no idea," Elena breathed and Damon chuckled for the second time that day.

* * *

Damon had woken up about halfway through the vision. He'd managed to make it up the stairs somehow, but when he got to Elena's door, he just leaned against it. Part of him was unwilling to risk ending the vision by opening the door. He chided himself for his selfishness and went to grab the door knob when he heard Elena and stopped.

She was sighing his name, which wasn't unusual all things considered, but what gave him pause was the proximity of the voice. She was right on the other side of the door. His suspicion was confirmed when the door handle rattled slightly. _Why isn't she opening the door?_ Damon thought. _Well, why aren't you?_

Before he could change his mind, Damon reached out and twisted the door knob. He pushed gently on the door, not wanting to hurt Elena if she was standing there. When the door didn't collide with anything, he pushed it open further and stumbled through. Elena was leaning against the wall, panting heavily. Damon went to her immediately, holding her tightly, head in hair, and she leaned back into him.

The vision hadn't stopped once the door was open. If anything, it had gotten stronger. The feelings and sensations were unbelievably real. He held on to Elena for dear life and they both used the wall for support as the vision reached its designed conclusion. As Elena cried out his name in the vision, she whimpered it in real life. Damon held her tighter. He was unable to hold off his release in real life. It was all just too much. "Fuck!" he cried as he came hard in his pants. He and Elena slid to the floor and just held each other until they both lost track of time.

They woke in the same position hours later to sun streaming in through Elena's window. Disoriented, Elena squinted and turned to find a sleepy looking Damon rubbing his hands through his hair. Everything came flooding back to her. The vision. The intimacy of Damon holding her through it. The peaceful sleep she had finally gotten sitting here in his arms. She smiled, "Hey."

"Hey," he said simply. He seemed nervous. In the past, she would never have associated that word with Damon, but the last few days had changed things. She reached over to rub her thumb over his cheek and the tension in his body seemed to ease immediately. He smiled wryly, "You think I could shower and maybe borrow some pants from Jeremy. I don't think I brought my over-night bag."

Elena stifled a giggle and got up to go find Damon some clothes. "Sure, go ahead. I'll leave some clothes on his bed. I'll go down and make some breakfast."

"Umm, no, you won't. I prefer my food not burned to a crisp. I'll only be a second. Why don't you start the coffee," Damon smiled wickedly as he started disrobing with the door wide open. "Unless, that is, you care to join me in here."

Elena flushed. "I'll just start the coffee." She grabbed her cell and headed down the stairs.

* * *

Elena had just started the brew cycle when there was a knock on the door. She yelled, "Come in," as she quickly checked her reflection in the microwave glass. She didn't know what she expected. It's not like she had actually been having sex with Damon all night long, but for some reason she still felt exposed, like whoever walked through that door would be able to tell everything that she'd been thinking and feeling.

She was relieved when Bonnie appeared in the kitchen doorway. "Hey, Bonnie. I was just making some coffee. Would you like some?"

"Sure, thanks," Bonnie said normally enough, but something was off.

"What's wrong?" Elena asked just as Stefan walked up behind Bonnie.

"I wouldn't mind a cup, too," he said nonchalantly and smiled, acting for all the world as if nothing had happened the night before.

Elena nodded and turned to grab four mugs from the cabinet. She heard Damon coming down the stairs and said a silent prayer that everything would go smoothly. She turned to find Bonnie and Stefan already settling at the kitchen island. When Damon walked into the room, she had to stifle a laugh. Jeremy's jeans were clearly too large in the waste and maybe a little short. For someone who was always so put together, it was quite the juxtaposition.

Damon shot her a death glare before swaggering over as if nothing was amiss, "Little brother, to what do we owe the honor?" Elena noticed how Damon had come to stand on the other side of the kitchen island with her, effectively blocking the view of his discordant jeans from Bonnie and Stefan. She caught his eye and smirked at him. His eyes glinted at her but otherwise let on nothing.

Stefan cleared his throat. "Uh, yes, actually, I did," he said. Then facing Elena head on, he said, "Elena, I'm so sorry I left you here unprotected, even for a moment. It was selfish and immature and irresponsible. I wasn't thinking. I regretted it as soon as I woke up, but I knew by then that Damon would be here. So I used the night to clear my head."

"It's ok, Stefan," Elena said, and she meant it. This was hard on all of them. "This isn't exactly an easy situation."

"No, it's not, but I think Bonnie and I have come up with a solution that might make it easier," Stefan said.

Damon's eyes shot up from his coffee mug. "What do you mean 'easier'?

Bonnie looked uncomfortable.

"I thought you said the spell could only be terminated one way, Bonnie?" Elena whispered, trying to steady her voice. She didn't want Stefan to hear the panic in her voice. The feeling surprised even her. She didn't want the spell to end. Or she did, but only on her terms.

Bonnie shifted in her seat. "I did say that, and it's still true. You can only end the spell one way."

"So what's this magical solution?" Damon asked, leering at Stefan outright. Elena wanted to touch his arm, to reassure him, comfort him. But she knew she couldn't. Not now anyway.

"Stefan had the idea to do a transfer spell. I'm not positive it will work, but it should. The original spell requires that the subjects be in love in order for it to work, so it stands to reason that if Elena loves Stefan, then we should be able to transfer the spell from Damon to Stefan." Bonnie said, matter-of-factly.

"And what, pray tell, does that actually accomplish, Stefan? We need the spell to actually go away so we can focus on what Klaus is really up to," Damon seethed.

"I know, Damon," Stefan sighed, resigned. "My thought process was just that Elena has been with me before. She may be more comfortable with me," at this, Stefan made eye contact with Elena. "I thought that it might be easier for you to end the spell if it were with me. I mean, I know things aren't great between us. I'm not asking you to forget all that. But since we've already been together…" he trailed off.

Elena froze, panic rising in her chest once again. She didn't know what to say. On one hand, she appreciated what Stefan was trying to do for her, but on the other, she was aghast at the thought of being with anyone else other than Damon.

"Elena," Bonnie prodded, "what do you want me to do?"

Elena hesitated. She knew what she wanted to do, but she needed to talk to Stefan alone. Before she could say anything, her cell phone rang.

* * *

"It's Jeremy," she said to the group as she answered her phone. "Hey, Jer, what's up? You didn't come home last night."

"Yea, I stayed at Tyler's. Hey, have you heard from Matt this morning? He's supposed to be opening the Grill with me, but he's late. He's never late," Jeremy said, sounding worried.

"No, I haven't talked to him. Last we knew, he was going over to Rebekah's. Did you try his phone?" she asked.

"Yea, he's not answering," Jeremy said.

"Ok, I'll run by his house, and I'll try calling Rebekah. I'll let you know what I find out," Elena hung up the phone and looked at Bonnie as she relayed what Jeremy had said.

"I'll go over to Klaus's. Something stinks," Damon was saying.

"Damon, wait," Elena said, worried. "You can't just stroll into Klaus's."

"Oh but can't I?" he quipped and headed for the door.

* * *

Damon didn't know why he was being such a jerk. It wasn't like Elena had done or said anything to upset him, not exactly. Maybe it was the fact that she hadn't said anything at all. She had heard Stefan's ludicrous suggestion and then she'd just stood there. His eyes flashed red at the memory. He knew he was being self-destructive by going after Klaus, but so be it. It's what he did best.

Damon flung open his car door and stopped. Elena was suddenly in his head. He looked back at the house and there she stood in the doorway, making eye contact with him. But in his head, she was standing beside him. Kissing him. He leaned his head against the car and waited out the vision.

In his head, Elena pulled out of the kiss and continued to stroke his chest, not meeting his eyes. Then she looked up and he saw tears streaming down his face. The vision faltered.

Damon looked back toward Elena on the porch. She was really crying. His heart twisted in his chest as he picked up the vision where she had left off. He stroked her hair and began kissing the tears away one by one. "What's wrong, Elena?"

"Why are you doing this?" she asked. "I thought…I thought we were…"

"Thought we were what, Elena?" Damon whispered as he continued to kiss her to keep the fantasy vision going.

"I thought we were a team now, and you just walked out to go do something stupid without even consulting me," Elena spat out then grabbed him by the neck and pulled him into a deep kiss. "Don't go. Please," she begged as she released him.

"Come to me," he whispered in her ear.

On the porch, Elena hesitated. She looked back over her shoulder into the house. Then he heard her call out to Bonnie and Stefan, "I'll be right back," before she quickly jogged over to his car. He motioned for her to get into the passenger seat. When they were in the car, he started the engine and turned up the music to drown out their conversation. He looked over at Elena, and he couldn't help it. His mind flashed to the vision of the road trip. Elena smiled wickedly at him as she scooted closer.

"Oh, no you don't," he managed, although it was the exact opposite of what he actually wanted to say.

Elena's face returned to her serious expression. "I need to talk to Stefan. Today. Right now. He needs to know, Damon. I can't let him keep holding on to hope like this."

"I thought maybe you would want to do what he was offering," Damon admitted, grasping the steering wheel and staring blankly out to the street ahead.

"I don't know how you could possibly think that. Not after everything – "Elena was interrupted for the second time that day by her cell phone ringing. "It's Klaus."

* * *

"Where's Matt?" Elena spat into the phone.

"Hello, Love. I'm well. Thank you for asking. I hope you had an enjoyable night yourself," Klaus chided.

Elena repeated, "Where's Matt?"

"Oh, no need to worry, Love. Your quarter back is here with me. I'm keeping him quite comfortable," Klaus conceded.

Elena's mind raced. He had Matt. But why? And what would they do about it? "Don't you dare hurt him!"

"Calm down, Elena. No harm will come to your friend. That is, as long as you follow my exact instructions."

Elena waited. She gripped Damon's hand for support.

"Make an excuse to your body guards. Come here, alone. If you do, I promise no harm will come to you or to Matt. I will release you both as soon as I have what I need. Do we have a deal?"

Damon was already starting the car and pulling out into the street. "We have a deal," Elena said. "I'll be there shortly." She hung up the phone and immediately started texting Bonnie with the update.

Next to her, Damon said, "Tell Bonnie that we may need that spell her and I were working on sooner rather than later."

Elena looked at Damon in confusion but did as she was asked.


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

"Damon, I know what you are going to say, but I think you should just drop me off. I'll be ok," Elena said assuredly.

Damon huffed and looked at her like she was crazy, "Have you met me?" he asked. "In what world do you think I'd actually let you walk in there alone. I don't care what happens to me, Elena, and I definitely don't care about what happens to Donovan."

"Well, I do!" Elena yelled. "I care. I don't want Klaus to hurt Matt. But I couldn't live with myself if something happened to you." And as much as she hated herself for it, the tears started flowing again.

Damon pulled the car over and reached for her. He held her close and rubbed his fingers through her hair as she cried. "Elena, Bonnie and I have been working on a desiccation spell. She doesn't have all the pieces. It's guesswork. But I think we were close to figuring it out." He pulled back and looked at her with his piercing blue eyes. "I'm not letting you go in there alone. I'll distract him. You go find Matt and get him out. We will be fine."

"We know he won't hurt me though. So let me go alone. If something goes wrong, the worst that will happen is he'll take me hostage or run with me. If that's the case, then Bonnie can still perform her spell. Once he's desiccated, I can escape," Elena nodded eagerly. It made perfect sense.

Damon turned back to the steering wheel and started the Camaro back up. "The only thing we know for sure about the spell is that someone has to make contact with Klaus's heart. It has to be me, Elena. This isn't up for discussion. I'm going." With that, Damon pulled back into the street. Elena huffed. She wanted to be mad at him, to ignore him out of spite, but a voice at the back of her head told her that they both could be walking into a death trap. _Why waste time being angry with him?_ So instead she grabbed his hand and squeezed it. And she let the tears fall.

* * *

When they pulled up in front of Klaus's home, they were surprised to find Klaus outside supervising the unloading of a medical supplies truck. Damon and Elena watched with curiosity for a few moments as a computer, hospital grade bed, and all sorts of other medical equipment were unloaded.

"What's he up to this time?" Damon wondered aloud.

Elena shuddered next to him. "Maybe he's getting ready to take more of my blood. He's found more werewolves to turn."

Damon nodded, but he was unconvinced. If that were the case, then why take Matt?

He noticed Elena reaching for the door handle and panic welled up inside him. Damon reached to still her hand and turn her back toward him. He just held her gaze for several minutes. Finally, he managed, "Elena, I just want to say, that no matter what happens, I…"

But this time it was Elena's turn to shush him. "I know," she said simply. "I love you, too." With that, she kissed him and quickly got out of the car.

* * *

"Well, well. If it isn't the love birds. How did I know that you two would be a packaged deal by now?" Klaus smirked.

"Please, don't hurt him," Elena begged. "We came willingly enough. What do you want with me? What are you doing to Matt?"

"So many questions. And tell me, dear, sweet Elena, why I should answer any of them when you can't even follow this simplest of instructions?" Klaus's smile turned to a glare as he walked over to Damon and picked him up by the throat. Elena cried out as Damon struggled.

"No matter," Klaus said, releasing Damon and walking toward the house. "I think I can find a use for him after all. Follow along, children."

Damon glowered at Klaus's backside for a long minute before looking at Elena. She shrugged and he nodded once before both following Klaus inside.

* * *

"Please, have a seat," Klaus said, hand extended toward the dining room. Elena looked on in mild shock at the dinner table amassed with food, wine, and candles. She noticed absentmindedly that there were five place settings around the table.

"Quite the spread, Klaus. So you just called Elena over for a little light lunch?" Damon raised his eyebrows in a mocking gesture.

"I promised not to hurt her. Would you prefer that she starve?" At that, Klaus walked across the room and opened the door to a hallway that Elena had previously not noticed. She watched as Klaus leaned through the doorway and called out, "Bring him in!"

A moment later, Matt walked through the door, looking no worse for wear.

"Matt!" Elena called out and ran to him, pulling him into a big hug. "Are you ok? Did he hurt you? I was so worried."

Matt hugged Elena back. "I'm fine, Elena." When Elena looked at him, unsure, he added, "Honestly. He put me in a guest room for the night. I don't even know why I'm here."

"Leverage," Damon said. "That's it, isn't it, Klaus? You wanted to make sure Elena would do what you wanted without causing any trouble. Tell me I'm wrong."

"That is certainly part of it Damon, quite right. But it is not the whole story. Now do sit down. Our meal is getting cold," Klaus said, taking his seat at the table.

Elena shrugged at Damon and, not knowing what else to do, she sat, taking in the spread of fruits, cheeses, meats, and desserts. Suddenly, three beautiful blonds appeared through the same door Matt had recently entered. The girls, appearing to be not much older than Elena, wore gaudy gold dresses and heavy diamond jewelry. They began serving the food and offering additional beverages. She scowled as she noticed Matt and Damon appreciating the wait staff. She threw a grape at Damon as he sat down opposite her. He shrugged innocently and mouthed, "What?" making Elena laugh momentarily until one girl approached Damon with her wrist. Elena blanched and Damon stilled only briefly before shaking his head and turning her away.

Elena looked down at her plate now covered in decadent food, and she suddenly realized she was famished. When was the last time she had eaten? _Might as well enjoy it,_ she thought as she went for a square of cheese with her fork.

"Tut, tut, Elena. It would be quite rude to continue without all our guests present and accounted for," Klaus cooed.

"Who else is coming?" Elena asked worriedly. She already knew that something seriously bad awaited them. This was all just the calm before the storm. It was pure torture, the waiting and the not knowing. But Elena and Damon had come into this knowing what they were up against. She didn't want anyone else to have to suffer. She glanced at the empty seat and back at Klaus.

"Pardon me. I just assumed. Where the doppelganger goes, the Salvatore brothers are both soon to follow. I expected Stefan to be showing his pretty little face any minute now. Am I mistaken? Perhaps something has come between you?" Klaus smirked and sipped his wine.

Elena felt immensely uncomfortable. The knowledge of what she was doing to both brothers made her feel like Katherine, and she hated that. But still, she had to acknowledge that Klaus was partially right, which begged the question _Where is Stefan?_ She was mildly surprised he hadn't followed them here at a break neck pace. Maybe he and Bonnie had a plan.

Noticing her discomfort, Damon answered, "Stefan won't be joining us today. He had a rough night last night. It affected his hero hair, you know? It just wasn't cooperating, so he's staying in. At least until the new hair gel comes in from Amazon. It's a hard life." Damon winked and held up his wine glass to one of the blond goddesses. She'd never loved him more than in that moment. Plus, his cocky half smile took her breath away. He glanced over at her and smiled, genuinely smiled. Elena blushed and looked down at her plate.

"I see," Klaus said, picking up his fork. "Well, without further ado, let us eat."

Regaining her composure, Elena asked coldly, "Are you going to tell us why we're here?" She was quickly beginning fed up with Klaus's games.

"All in good time, Elena. All in good time."

* * *

After lunch, Klaus had the werewolves take Matt away again. Then, extending his arm to Elena and gesturing to Damon to follow, he led them through the house to a massive bedroom.

"Please, make yourselves comfortable. We will be here another day or two as we wait for the vervain to leave Matt's system," Klaus said, releasing Elena. "I'll have clothes sent up. I think Matt quite liked the plaid flannels I picked for him. Damon, are you a flannel man?"

"I sleep in the nude," Damon said nonchalantly, taking in the room. In the middle sat a gigantic four poster bed with ornate bedding. The furniture was obviously antique, from the dresser to the night stand. Burgundy curtains hung floor to ceiling over windows that spanned the length of the far wall. The windows, Damon noted, also had the added decoration of steel bars. _Reinforced, no doubt._ A door on the opposite side of the room stood ajar, leading to what Damon suspected was an en-suite bathroom.

"Why do you need Matt to be off vervain? What are you planning, Klaus?" Elena asked.

Klaus just smirked. "Because he won't do what I need him to do otherwise, will he?" As Klaus walked back toward the doorway, he added, "And don't get any ideas. The room is reinforced. Think of it as a beautiful prison. My hybrids will also be guarding your door 24/7. And as long as you both comply, we will continue to wait patiently for the vervain to leave Matt's system. If you choose to defy me, then I look forward to showing you the many different techniques I've learned over the centuries in how to bleed a man of vervain." And with that Klaus walked out and shut the door behind him.

* * *

Several hours passed, and Elena and Damon were no closer to coming up with a plan. "We don't even know where Matt is in the house. We don't know what Klaus is really up to. We have no foreseeable way of escaping. We aren't even sure if Bonnie is ready," Elena complained, pacing back and forth in front of the bed as Damon lounged comfortably against the head board, flipping through a first edition of _A Tale of Two Cities._

"Wanna keep your voice down there, Champ?" Damon said, tossing the book aside on the bed and sitting up. "Hybrid ears and all."

Elena's face fell as she walked over and sat on the edge of the bed near Damon, "Sorry," she muttered. "I just feel so useless."

"Hey, it's going to be ok –"

Just then, the door opened. One of the hybrids leaned in, "Klaus needs to see Elena."

Damon and Elena both stood and started toward the door, glad to have something to do besides worry. As Elena stepped through the doorway, the hybrid held up a hand to Damon. "Just Elena," he said, and he reached for the door handle and slammed the door in Damon's face.

Elena could here Damon banging on the door as she followed the hybrid down the hallway. She wished she could tell him she'd be ok, but with the door shut between them, it would be impossible to communicate, even through a fantasy vision.

Elena rounded a corner and came to a small room. It had clearly been an office that had been converted haphazardly into a make-shift hospital room. A large, ornate desk sat in the corner with a computer screen sitting on top. A medical supply cabinet sat next to the desk. A bookshelf had been shoved into a corner, and a hospital bed had been placed in the middle of the room. An IV stand, several monitors, and an equipment tray stood in various places around the bed. Elena's heart quickened. _What the fuck is going on here?_

"Hello, Elena. Please have a seat on the bed. I just need to get logged in here," a brunette in green scrubs and a lab coat said as she walked into the room and leaned over the computer screen.

 _Compelled,_ Elena thought as she walked toward the hospital bed. "Why am I here?" Elena asked, thinking maybe it was worth a shot to find out what this woman may know, but it was like the question had never been asked.

"Alright, Elena. I'm Dr. Bedford. I just need to ask you a few questions and then we will get you your meds."

"Meds? What meds?" Elena asked, panic rising in her chest.

"Now, Elena, can you tell me the date of your last cycle please?" Dr. Bedford asked as she typed.

Elena thought back. "It's been about two weeks I think," she answered, confused.

"Excellent," Dr. Bedford intoned without looking up from the computer. "Do you have any allergies to any medications that you know of?"

"No," Elena answered honestly.

"Any past medical procedures I should know about?"

"No," Elena answered. And the questions went on and on.

Finally, Dr. Bedford looked up from the screen. "It sounds as if you are in perfect health, Elena. That's really good. There shouldn't be any problems with the procedure."

 _Procedure. I have to get out of here_. Elena began slowly backing toward the door. When she felt she was close enough, she turned, yanked the door handle, and began to run. She'd made it maybe two steps before she ran right into the chest of the hybrid that had escorted her to the hospital room. He grabbed Elena's wrist and walked her back inside.

"Now, Elena, let me get you your meds. Do you mind just turning around and lowering your pants slightly?" Dr. Bedford was saying as she readied a syringe. Elena couldn't quite make out the name on the bottle.

Elena didn't know what else to do. She couldn't run. Fighting would just get Matt hurt. So she did what she was asked.

Dr. Bedford continued, "There are usually very few side effects with this medication, Elena. Should you experience any discomfort, let me know immediately. I'm talking head aches, cramps, nausea – anything out of the ordinary. You may have some injection sight pain, but that is nothing to worry about. There, all done."

Elena cringed as the injection went into her hip muscle. She waited as the doctor applied a cotton ball and band aid, then she refastened her pants.

"Ok, Elena, I'll see you back here in twenty-four to thirty-six hours. Just try to rest and take it easy, ok?" With that, Dr. Bedford left the room.

 _I wonder where she goes when she isn't in here?_ Elena thought absentmindedly as she began to follow Dr. Bedford out the door. Then her eyes caught on the medicine bottle still sitting on the top of the cabinet. Elena quickly pocketed it before heading out the door.

* * *

Back in her room, Elena found Damon pacing back and forth in front of the bed, picking up where she had left off no doubt. When he saw her, he ran to her and enveloped her in an enormous hug. She never wanted to let go. Tears began spilling from her cheeks unbidden and she cursed herself for crying for what felt like the hundredth time that day. It was just something about Damon that made her feel like she could let go and be vulnerable. She knew that he would hold her up.

"What happened? What did he do to you?" Damon asked into her hair as he held on to her for dear life.

Elena shook her head. "I don't even know." Then she told him everything. When she was finished, she pulled the bottle out of her pants pocket and handed it to him. She hadn't had a chance to study it yet, either, but she could tell there wasn't much information there. The label was blue and white and simply read 'human chorionic gonadotropin.' There was dosage and brand information, but nothing that would imply what the medication was used for. The liquid that remained in the bottle was clear.

Damon yanked the top off the bottle and smelled. His face was blank. Elena was sure he was just as clueless as he was. He handed her back the bottle and shrugged, "Any guesses?"

Elena was just about to put the bottle down on the night stand when she noticed the acronym on the side: 'hcG.' Her heart stopped.

"Elena! Elena, what's wrong?" Damon asked, panicked.

"I know what this is. Or at least, I think I know." Elena felt her body break out in a cold sweat. She felt sick. She looked up at Damon and met his gaze head on. "hcG. I didn't realize it 'til I saw the acronym. We talked about it in Bio just a few weeks ago. It's…it's the pregnancy hormone."


	10. Chapter 10

A/N: I'm so incredibly sorry it took so long to get this out. Life got in the way. This wasn't my favorite chapter to write, but it was a necessary one. Keep the feedback coming! And thank you all for reading, favoriting, and following.

Chapter 10

"Pregnancy hormone?" Damon's face contorted with rage. He yanked the bottle out of Elena's hands and threw it with all his vampire strength. It crashed against the wall and shattered into pieces, clear liquid falling in rivulets down the wooden panels.

Elena flinched almost imperceptibly but otherwise made no outward sign of noticing the outburst. She seemed almost catatonic as the knowledge of what this medication could mean washed over her. Damon's chest felt tight. He wanted to comfort her, but he didn't know how. He sat, helpless, not knowing how he could help and unable to do anything about their predicament.

Finally, after agonizing minutes where Damon felt like he was going to explode, Elena laughed. Just once. It was inexplicable and jarring. She was obviously in shock. Damon grabbed her hand and she yanked her head up to him in surprise, as if she had forgotten he was even there.

"I guess we know why he needs Matt now. And why he needs to be off vervain. He's going to compel us to have sex, breed us like dogs." Elena's eyes were dead as she spoke. Her hand lay heavy and unresponsive in Damon's grasp.

"No, Elena, I don't think that's what Klaus has in mind exactly." Damon said and Elena looked up at him, a smidgen of hope returning some of the life to her face.

"Did you happen to see something that looked like a turkey baster when you were in that hospital room?" Damon asked far too casually, all the while messaging Elena's hands with his own.

A light bulb seemed to go off in Elena's head. "Oh God. Artificial insemination. Of course," Elena spoke aloud, but not at him. The wheels were clearly spinning in her head. "How can you be certain that's what he has in mind?" she asked.

Damon shrugged noncommittally. "That's what I would do. It's less messy, more precise. Easily repeatable…" he trailed off. Then, "Elena, I…"

Refocusing, Elena looked at Damon. Really looked this time. She was starting to come back to herself now. Her almond shaped mahogany eyes and perfect chestnut hair were a vision, and despite everything, he couldn't help but want to kiss her. He must have pictured doing just that, because Elena squeezed his hand and smiled, then leaned in and gave him a peck on the cheek. "What were you going to say?" she asked.

Damon didn't know how to phrase it, but the thought had tumbled into his head and now he had to get it out. He knew that her very essence was maternal. She was compassionate and loving to an impossible degree. He could envision her as a mother. She would be great at it. The best. But it's something she would never have if she were to stay with him. Or Stefan, for that matter. It's something she must have thought about by now, but they had never discussed it. Why would they have? Maybe she had talked to Stefan about it when they were together, but he wasn't privy to any of that.

He breathed deeply and gathered his courage. "Maybe it's something you should consider. I mean, if a kid is something you think you may want. I mean, Donovan wouldn't be the worst dad. His pay check probably won't be the greatest, but…" He tried to lighten the mood, like what he was suggesting wasn't killing him a little. If she agreed, he would probably lose her. She would have this kid and want to raise it with its father. She would come to realize that she couldn't have any vampires in her life, not when she was trying to protect a small child. Her heart would be consumed by another and there would be no room left in it for him.

But if this is what she really wanted, then he would gladly leave and let her have her happy ending. All he wanted was for her to be happy.

* * *

Elena was overwhelmed with emotions. She pulled her hands from Damon's grasp and began absentmindedly playing with the hem of her shirt. So many feelings were running through her head. Rage at Klaus, frustration at their helpless circumstances, fear at the possibility of becoming a teenage mother, and sorrow that if it had to happen that it wouldn't be with the person she chose. And then Damon had to go and open his big mouth and be the voice of reason when reason was the last thing she wanted at the moment.

A loud and angry sob wrenched out of her mouth followed by ugly tears she could no longer contain. Damon reached over and wrapped his arms around her, pulling her into his chest and rocking her. He ran his fingers down her hair and told her in the gentlest of voices, "Just let it out. It's ok to cry. Everything's going to be ok."

But she knew that wasn't true, and crying wasn't going to help anything. She allowed herself a few more moments in his arms before she sat up shaking her head. Damon immediately reached for her face and tenderly wiped away her remaining tears.

"I don't want this, Damon. I don't want to be a mom before I've even finished high school. And being a mother in general isn't something I'm even sure about. Not anymore. Maybe before, when I thought I was just a typical girl next door…" she trailed off, shaking her head again, trying to physically rattle her thoughts into place, "but I'm not. I never will be again. I'm the doppelganger."

She reached over and placed both hands on either side of Damon's face, heart quivering slightly as she noticed the wisps of raven black hair falling over his forehead, making him look even more rakishly handsome than usual. "Besides, I want to be with you, Damon. I may not have been sure about it before, but I'm sure about it now. I've never wanted anything more." She looked down, bashful for a moment at the presumptuousness of her words. Maybe he didn't feel the same way after all. Either way, she knew, for her anyway, that it was true, and it's with that certainty that she found the courage to continue. "And if that choice means that I don't get to be a mother someday, then so be it. Lots of women can't have babies for various reasons. You play the cards your dealt."

With every word she spoke, Elena became more convinced of what she was saying. She meant it. She didn't need to be a mom. She just needed Damon. "And although I'm sure Matt will make a great dad, padded pay check or no," she smirked, "I think he'd rather experience that with someone who loves him as much as I love you."

As she spoke, Damon's frown turned into a small smile and widened until it nearly lit the room. Her heart swelled and she couldn't take it any longer. She was tired of fantasies and visions. She wanted the real thing. She pulled him close and kissed him full on the lips, tasting and touching. Feeling his velvety soft lips on hers. Shivers ran all through her body as she deepened the kiss. She entangled her fingers in his hair and moved to straddle him on the edge of the bed. His arms enveloped her, pulling her closer. She let herself get lost in the moment, pushing out all the worry and all the fear. Yes, she didn't need to be a mother. Not now, not ever. Not when being with Damon made her feel like this. She was soaring and not even Klaus could bring her down from the clouds.

* * *

Damon reluctantly pulled Elena off of him and physically sat her down on the floor. The look of hurt and confusion that crossed her face nearly knocked him over. He cupped her cheek with his hand and ran the pad of his thumb over her lips. "I could kiss these lips every day for forever."

"Then do it," Elena said, stepping closer again.

Damon shook his head. "Not yet. If we're going to get you out of this, we need a plan."

At that moment, a piece of paper appeared beside him on the bed, as if his very words had conjured it out of thin air. Damon glanced suspiciously between the paper and Elena. "That wasn't there just a second ago, right?"

Elena's face lit up. "Bonnie," she breathed, a shadow of a smile playing across her beautiful lips. She grabbed for the paper and wrenched it open. Sure enough, it was a note written in Bonnie's delicate script.

 _Elena,_

 _Elijah contacted me. He knows what Klaus is up to, and He wants to help. I believe him. He says Klaus daggered Rebecca, and he can no longer forgive him for his continued betrayals. He brought me Esther's grimoire, so now I have the desiccation spell in its entirety. I'm ready. I just need Damon to make contact with Klaus's heart. If you guys can do that, I can take care of the rest. Please be safe._

 _Bonnie_

Damon read over Elena's shoulder, then jerked the paper out of Elena's hands and reread the note before ripping it into tiny pieces and letting them flutter to the floor. His thoughts were racing. It wasn't fear of Klaus exactly that had him all worked up. No, he was ready to face the beast, win or lose. It was more that if Damon was going to face him, he wanted the best odds, the most favorable conditions possible. Granted, Damon knew those conditions were never likely going to be good, but trusting Elijah? They'd tried that before, and look where that had gotten them. _Fool me once, Asshole._

"Tell me what you're thinking," Elena's voice suddenly permeated his thoughts.

"I'm thinking that we're fucking idiots if we trust this original asswipe with anything," Damon angry whispered.

Elena flinched. He could see the hope in her eyes. They had been dull and dead moments before and now they were full of light and life again. Bonnie's note had brought her fully back to herself, and here he was taking that hope away. "What choice do we have?" she asked measuredly.

Damon just looked at her, baffled.

"Well?" she asked, eyebrows raised. "Do you have a better idea?"

Damon sighed and closed the gap between them. It had felt more like an abyss than the distance of just a couple of feet. He rested his forehead to hers and gently shook his head. "No," he breathed, "I don't."

"Then let's do this," Elena said as she tugged on his shirt for emphasis, optimism flowing out of her. "It'll work. I know it will. We'll survive this. We always survive." And then she kissed him.

Damon didn't say anything. He let her kiss him. He pushed away the doubt and the fear of losing her. He pushed away his mistrust of Elijah. He pushed away his powerlessness at the situation and his rage at Klaus. He pushed it all far, far away and just let himself be kissed.

* * *

Elena lay cradled in the crook of Damon's arm. She could feel him awake beside her, clearly agitated, and she knew she should say something to calm him. But Elena was just so tired. She had been since she had returned from her visit with Dr. Bedford. _Maybe a side effect from the meds?_ She tried to review the plan that they had discussed in hushed whispers just minutes ago. She tried to think of every possible scenario, but her thoughts became jumbled as Damon stroked his fingers through her hair and before she even realized it, she had fallen into a deep and peaceful sleep.

When she awoke, she was no longer in one of Klaus's beautifully adorned guest suites, but instead she was standing in a lush, green yard surrounded by a white picket fence. A plantation era house with a massive wrap-around porch stood behind her, and when she looked down, she realized she was attired in a dress that Scarlett O'Hara herself might have worn in _Gone with the Wind_. Her long, mahogany hair was twisted up and expertly pinned in an intricate chignon, and to top it all off, she carried a parasol. _Really, a flippin' parasol?_

As Elena turned to fully take in her surroundings, she caught sight of Damon striding purposefully toward her, smiling ear to ear. It was clearly Damon, but he was different. In appearance, yes, but it was more than that. She took in his curly hair and felt her heart do a little flip. He was still as handsome as ever. Even the washed out gray of his Confederate uniform couldn't stifle his beauty or hide the familiar muscular build that she knew lay underneath. This time it wasn't just her heart that flipped. She felt the familiar heat encompass her belly, and she had to look away for a moment. When she returned her eyes to his face, that's when she really noticed it. Damon's eyes, the same piercing sky blue, were alight with life. And his smile was so open and undeterred. Elena's breath hitched and she suddenly felt like crying. He'd lost so much becoming a vampire. This Damon had been so alive.

"Hey you!" he said, reaching her finally and giving her a quick kiss on the cheek.

"Hi," Elena forced a laugh that quickly became real. His happiness was contagious and she wanted to enjoy it. "Well, I think it's safe to say that this vision is definitely a product of your subconscious," she said, sweeping an arm out to indicate their surroundings.

"It's not a vision," Damon said, smirking. "At least, not of the witchy variety."

"It's not," Elena tensed. Was this Klaus? She hated that her first thoughts were always of him, always suspicious and fearful.

"No, it's a dream vision. I'm controlling it."

"Like the dream you gave Rose?" Elena asked, voice full of wonder and curiosity now that her fears had been allayed.

"Exactly. Behind you," he nodded his head at the house. "That was our house growing up."

Elena looked on, awestruck. It was hard to reconcile the beautiful home in front of her with the ruins Stefan had shown her. That felt like ages ago now.

"Now come along," Damon was saying. "I've got lots to show you."

And just like that they were inside a crowded room full of people. The women wore immaculate dresses similar to hers. The men were either in period tuxedos or military apparel. Many people milled about the room, but several couples were also dancing in the central part of the room.

"Welcome to the Lockwood Plantation, Elena. This is the first Founder's Ball."

Elena's eyes widened. She couldn't believe what she was seeing, what she was experiencing. The last chords of the song played and the dance came to an end. The couples clapped, and a new song was recommended. Several people dispersed, but others began to line up for a new dance.

"May I have this dance?" Damon asked, taking Elena's hand and bowing.

Elena curtsied. "It would be my pleasure to dance with you, kind sir, but I'm afraid I may not know the steps."

"Ah, but I happen to know that you do know this dance. In fact, we have danced it together before." Damon moved them in line with the other couples and held up his right hand as the music began.

Elena felt dizzy with desire. She couldn't help but remember their first dance, when he had saved her at the Miss Mystic Falls pageant. He'd swooped in all devilishly handsome in his tuxedo and rescued her, the damsel in distress, from certain humiliation. Their eyes had locked and she had been unable – or unwilling – to look away. Elena remembered being ashamed at her reaction. At her inability to ignore his sexiness. How he'd made her heart race and her panties moisten. How he had made her feel happy despite everything terrible that was happening. She was having the same reaction now.

As then unexpectedly, Damon spun her, and their surroundings changed. Suddenly, she was standing atop a hill overlooking a wooded area. Shafts of sunlight broke through the trees at intervals, and she could just make out a stream in the distance. Birds sang and insects chirped away. The location was nothing if not serene. "Where are we now?" she asked.

Damon came up to stand behind her, no longer wearing his dress black. He looked much less formal now in trousers, suspenders, and a button up white shirt that was open at the collar. His curls were unruly on his head and she longed to run her fingers through them. She felt her nipples harden inside her bodice, and she wondered briefly how difficult it would be to disrobe with all this extra material to contend with. _Good thing this isn't real,_ she thought as she stepped toward Damon and entwined her fingers in his hair, no longer able to withstand the urge to keep her hands to herself.

Damon smiled a smug smile. But instead of kissing her like she longed to be kissed, he said, "This land was part of my family's estate. It's where I always envisioned I'd build my home. Raise a family." For the first time since they'd entered the fantasy, Damon's eyes grew sad and distant. Elena knew he was thinking of all the things he'd never gotten to have. All the things that Katherine had torn away from him. _That bitch!_ Anger flared in Elena's chest. She thought about asking Damon to conjure Katherine simply so she could gouge her eyes out.

But then Damon pulled himself out of his funk, grabbed her hand and turned, leading her further up the hill to where it leveled off. In front of them, where it hadn't been before, stood a quaint Victorian house, somewhat smaller in stature than the Salvatore family home, but no less grand. It was beautiful. White with blue shutters. A large staircase leading up to a decent sized front porch.

As they approached the imposing wooden front door, a Christmas wreath appeared, decorated with red ribbon and a brass bell. Damon turned the knob and walked in with the authority of one who lived there. Inside, the front room contained a fireplace complete with a roaring fire and homemade red stockings proclaiming 'Damon' and 'Elena' in white stitching. The furniture was antique by Elena's standards but had probably been new and stylish at the time, and discarded in an elaborate arm chair near the fire sat a ball of red yarn and knitting needles threaded through what she could tell was a miniature stocking. A baby's stocking.

No sooner had she noticed the sewing project, than she realized she now sported a large, swollen belly. Elena looked at Damon in shock. He held her gaze with a rueful smile. Then he took her hand and led her up the front staircase. Garland festooned the railing and festive Christmas decorations alighted shelves and book cases on the landing. All in all, the home felt happy, unburdened. Damon led her through one of several closed doors, and Elena stopped dead in her tracks as she took in the sight. A baby bed, a rocking chair, a seesaw horse. All hand made. Elena felt tears welling up in her eyes. So many emotions were fighting inside of her that it was hard to decipher what they all meant.

Elena turned back toward Damon, longing to see his face, to work out what he was thinking and feeling in this moment, but when she turned, they were back outside on the hill. The house was still there, no Christmas wreath adorning the door this time. She turned and behind her found a large red barn. She could smell the earthy scent of horses and hay and was momentarily mystified by a young girl with Damon's raven black hair pulling a pony out of the barn. She couldn't have been more than five, and she wore trousers that appeared to be several sizes too large under a thin cotton dress. When she smiled, Elena's heart stopped. It was the same half smile that Damon often sported, and it was directed right at her.

"I love my new pony, Momma," the girl said to Elena. "Just promise me I don't have to share him with Jack."

Elena's mouth gaped open, but words were unforthcoming. Damon stepped in. "Jack's too little to ride, Sweetheart. The pony is all yours for the time being. What will you call him?"

The girl's eyes widened with delight. "Princess!" she responded gleefully.

"But it's a boy pony, Darling." Damon chided.

The little girl laughed and shrugged. Then, relinquishing the pony's leash to Damon, she ran back toward the barn hollering, "I'm going to get Princess a carrot!"

As soon as she was out of sight the vision shifted again. This time, Elena found herself in a library, staring out a large window into a yard. She must have been inside their home because beyond the yard, she could see the same red barn she'd been standing by just moments before. It was much the same, only this time a fence sectioned off a space in front of the barn, Little Princess stood munching in its confines. In the yard, Damon ran chasing a young brunette boy who carried a football. Suddenly, the boy fell and began to cry. Damon was there in a heartbeat checking for wounds and holding the boy while he cried. She could see he was whispering soothing words of comfort as he stroked the boy's hair.

Beside her, a strangled laugh startled Elena. She turned to find a young girl of about thirteen or so standing beside her. It was the little girl from before, only a little more grown up. This time she wore a proper dress, and her hair was curled and pinned. She held a book in one hand and the other rested on her hip. She was gazing out the window at the boys, too. "He will never toughen up if you and Father keep babying him so," she complained.

When Elena returned her gaze to the window, the boy was standing up and brushing off his trousers. Damon tapped him on the arm and ruffled his straight brown hair – her hair, she realized – until it stuck up all over the place. Then the boy grabbed the ball from Damon's unsuspecting grasp and took off at a break neck pace, obviously undeterred by his recent fall.

"I don't know," Elena said. "He seems to be doing alright to me." But when she turned back to smile at the girl – her daughter – she was gone. Damon stood in her place, and she realized with a start that he looked older. He was aging. She wondered vaguely if she was, too, and looked down at her hands for confirmation. No wrinkles. No age spots. Just smooth, olive toned skin.

"What is all this, Damon?" she asked. For some reason she couldn't quite put her finger on, Elena felt sad. She knew she shouldn't feel that way. Everything he was showing her was beautiful, the pure definition of a happy life. But it wasn't real. It could never be real.

Damon shrugged, looking wistful. "I guess I just wanted you to see me. The real me. And what could have been. You know, if…"

He trailed off, and Elena stepped toward him before he could pick up the thought again. Grabbing his face in both her hands, she stood on her tip toes and looked him directly in the eyes. "I do see you, Damon. I do. And I know we would have been happy then, but we're going to be happy now, too…in our own way."

And when Elena leaned in to kiss him, the vision dissolved completely. She sat up with a start. Damon sat stark straight beside her on high alert. Klaus was at the door, leaning amiably against the door jamb like an old friend. "Well, isn't this cozy?" he smiled with all the prickliness of a porcupine. And all the leftover warmth the dream vision had infused within Elena – the warmth that had been making her feel safe and happy and at peace – vanished at the mere sight of him.

Elena leveled a glare at him, refusing to be intimidated. "What do you want Klaus?" she asked.

"Breakfast, my Lovelies, breakfast. Chop, chop," he clapped his hands and made to walk out of the room. "Oh, I almost forgot. I will leave you with an escort for when you are ready. So you don't get lost. It's a big house and all that." Then, leaning a little into the hallway, Klaus called, "Oh, Matt."

Matt appeared in the doorway, jaw clenched and hands fisted at his sides.

"There, there, be a good boy," Klaus was saying. Then he leaned in and made direct eye contact with Matt. "When our guests are ready, please escort them to the dining room. No talking, now." He patted Matt on the back and walked out, leaving Damon and Elena staring in his wake.

Elena immediately ran to Matt. "Are you ok? Did he hurt you?"

Matt shook his head, but otherwise didn't respond.

"Has he made you do anything?"

Matt nodded.

"Well, what?!" Elena nearly yelled, getting exasperated.

Matt just shrugged looking a bit annoyed himself.

When Elena felt ready to bash his head in, Damon stepped in. "He's compelled, Elena. This is a demonstration. The vervain is out of his system and Klaus wants us to know it. You won't get anything else out of him. Unless you know sign language?" Damon added hopefully to Matt.

Matt shook his head again.

"Of course not. Just because you're dumb doesn't mean you're deaf and dumb. It was too much to ask."

Elena punched Damon playfully in the arm. "We don't have time for this," she murmured. In fact, they didn't have time for anything. If Matt was off the vervain and could be compelled, that meant Klaus would promptly initiate his plan to impregnate Elena. There was no prolonging the inevitable. She and Damon would have to put their hastily concocted plan into action. _If only so much weren't riding on chance,_ she thought. If their plan failed, then Elena would be pregnant, and she would likely become Klaus's prisoner for the duration of her pregnancy. She understood innately that he wouldn't trust her not to terminate the pregnancy, and therefore wouldn't allow her out of his sight. And Damon? Well, if their plan failed, then Damon would likely be dead. Or worse.

Elena pushed the thoughts away. She couldn't dwell on it. If she dwelled then she would get scared, and that wouldn't do anyone any good. She had to be brave. She steeled herself, turned to Damon and reached for his hand. With one small squeeze, she said, "Let's get this over with," and determinedly followed Matt out the door.


	11. Chapter 11

A/N: Hey guys! I just wanted to say thank you again for the awesome response. I think this story has a few more good chapters left in it, but I'm getting excited about a few other story ideas I've had. I don't want to start anything until I finish this one, though. Let me know in your reviews if you would be interested in hearing more from me after this.

Chapter 11

Cold metal dug into the souls of Elena's feet and the cheap hospital gown chaffed against her skin. She had never felt so exposed. The stirrups were something she'd only ever experienced twice before, after Aunt Jenna had insisted that she start having an annual check-up with her OB-GYN. Those times had been uncomfortable enough, but this?! At least in the past it had been just her and the doctor, and Elena knew it was nothing the doctor hadn't seen a thousand times before. But now, in this office turned hospital room, she felt complete and utter humiliation.

The stirrups held her legs spread eagle, and she was completely naked except for the thin slip of the uncomfortable hospital gown that now road up to her waste. Her lady parts were bared for all to see should anyone choose to walk into the room. Elena huffed in frustration for the umpteenth time and tried yet again to remove herself from the table, but it was futile. The compulsion had been thorough. She wasn't going anywhere.

Elena heard the clomp, clomp of heavy footsteps outside the door and stilled, heart racing. The door handle turned and Damon appeared, pain and regret morphing his face. Elena began to struggle in earnest now, praying against all odds that somehow she could fight the compulsion. As Damon drew nearer, Elena only struggled harder. This was the man whose presence should have emanated comfort and reassurance; instead only cold dread welled inside her.

"Damon, you don't have to do this. Fight it. You can fight it," Elena begged.

"I wish I could, Elena. You have no idea how much I wish I could."

Elena sagged back against the bed, defeated, as she watched Damon lift the syringe-like device from the instrument table.

* * *

Only a few hours before, Damon and Elena's non-plan had gone helplessly awry. They had determined that Damon would take any opportunity to get his hands on Klaus. It only had to be for a moment, after all. So when they followed Matt out the door that morning, Damon was feeling pretty confident. He didn't anticipate the hybrid standing outside the door, hadn't heard him there at all. He hadn't even smelled him, which in and of itself was unusual considering werewolves smelled awful to vampires, even in human form. Damon suspected magic and his stomach coiled at the thought that Klaus had possibly gotten ahold of Bonnie. If that were the case then their plan was doomed from the get-go.

The hybrid had staked Damon threw the stomach, dropping him to his knees. Pain shot threw him and for a moment his vision blurred. Disoriented, he barely noticed as his hands wrenched behind him violently and tied behind his back, vervained ropes burning into his skin.

The hybrid yanked Damon to his feet by the collar of his shirt, and Damon heard Elena scream. In his distress, he had momentarily forgotten about her. He jerked his head up to see the cause of her screaming only to realize he was the reason. She struggled against the grasp of another hybrid, trying her hardest to detach herself and get to him. It was a fruitless endeavor, of course, but one he appreciated anyway. He found her spunk adorable, even in the worst of situations.

Damon turned his attention back to his hybrid, a large, stocky thing with a terrible gladiator haircut. He looked more like a tanned skin Hulk than a werewolf-vampire combo. The Hulk sneered at Damon. "That's to keep you from getting any ideas, Pretty Boy."

Damon gritted through the pain and managed to don his infamous smirk. "I'm flattered that Klaus and his minions find me so threatening. Now, do you mind removing this stake from my intestines? I think it's safe to say that I look much prettier without it."

"Only if you ask nicely," the Hulk grunted, as he stepped close to Damon and bared his teeth. Damon tried to act unaffected but the truth could be heard in the racing of his heart beat. He'd never forget what it felt like to be dying from werewolf venom, nor would he ever forget Rose's demise from similar circumstances.

"Please," Damon managed through the pain.

"One moment, Gideon." Klaus came around the corner, seeming chipper as usual. He walked right up to Damon and circled him, inspecting the handiwork of his sired subjects. Apparently finding everything to his satisfaction, Klaus beamed. He stepped closer to Damon, and Damon couldn't help but struggle to release his hands, despite knowing it was futile. Klaus laughed, taking one finger and penetrating the bleeding wound in Damon's stomach. He lifted it back to his lips and tasted the blood. "Ah, vervain free. Perfect." Then, without warning, he removed the stake lodged in Damon's gut.

Damon grunted but had no time to feel the relief of his healing wound. Klaus came even closer until he was mere centimeters from Damon's face. His menacing eyes locked with Damon's, making the necessary connection needed for compulsion. Damon panicked and struggled harder knowing what was coming. With a seeming will of their own, his ice blue eyes widened and locked into place. Klaus smirked, toying with him. "Now there, that wasn't so bad, was it?" he cooed. Then, treachery returning to his stare, he said," You will do everything I tell you to do from this moment forward until I say differently. Understood?"

Damon nodded. "I will do everything you say starting from this moment," Damon intoned in a robotic voice.

Klaus broke eye contact and turned to smile at Elena. "Good," he said. "Now we can have breakfast." And with that, Klaus led the way to the formal dining room.

* * *

The dining room was again decked out with the most delectable spread. There were croissants, biscuits, jams, butter, toast, fruit, sausage, gravy, and other things Elena had never even seen before. The room was alight with the soft glow of candles and morning sun, and the pretty blonds were back. This time, though, they were dressed in gaudy silver. Glitter caught the light and sparkled in their hair.

"Please, do sit." Klaus said as a hybrid pulled out a chair for Elena. "You need to eat and maintain your strength."

At that moment, one of the silver clad girls came through the door with a tray of bacon and eggs. Elena declined as she was offered food from the tray, her stomach rolling already from the morning's activities.

"Eat," Klaus snarled, "Or I will have your boyfriend here rip Renee's heart out of her chest. You wouldn't want that now, would you?" Klaus said, indicating the beautiful blond to Elena's right.

Elena sighed and grabbed a piece of toast from the table and topped it with Nutella spread. "Happy?" she barked at Klaus as she took a bite.

"You have the diet of a six year old child. If you want this baby to be healthy, Elena Dear, then I suggest you start reading up on proper nutrition." Klaus winked at her, then turned to Damon, sitting opposite Elena. "Now, I do believe you must be ravished, especially after all that blood loss this morning. Here, do let Patricia take care of that for you."

With that, Patricia stepped up to Damon and extended her wrist in front of his face. Elena stilled. She had no delusions about who Damon was. He was a proud vampire. Not so very long ago, he was an emotionless vampire. With his switch flipped, he had fed often and without care, taking what he wanted and leaving his victims for dead. More recently, however, he preferred snatch, eat, erase to murder. And with Elena around, he stuck to blood bags. In fact, he preferred to be classy about it and only drank his blood from a mug or highball glass, and then usually only when Elena wasn't there to see. These attempts to spare her feelings weren't lost on her. She knew he wasn't Stefan and that he would never adopt a bunny only diet, nor did she want him to be. Still, she appreciated his attempts to spare her all the same.

She watched as Damon simply sat and did nothing with the offering in front of him. "I'm actually not that hungry," he said, jaw clenching.

Klaus snorted. "We're always hungry, Mate. Now eat."

At first, Elena felt the need to look away. She didn't want to watch this even for a second, but she fought the urge. She wanted to show her support for Damon, to let him know that she knew he wasn't at fault for any of this, to reiterate that this didn't change how she felt about him. Because it was true. She still loved him. Nothing Klaus could do would change that, and she just had to find a way to tell him, to reassure him. Then Elena had an idea.

As the compulsion took over, Elena watched as Damon's faced began to shift and his fangs protruded. He looked at her apologetically before looking down at the wrist in front of him. Before he could lash out and take the blood that intoxicated and ensnared him, Elena yelled, "Wait!"

In her head, Elena began imagining. Knowing the fantasy visions only worked if they were actual fantasies, she pictured herself in a leather bustier and a barely there black lace G-string. She visualized herself strutting over to Damon, running her hands through her hair playfully, never breaking eye contact. Nearing his side, she did a 360 slow turn for his benefit, letting him take in every inch of her body, from her luscious breasts to her firm, bare butt cheeks. Returning to face him, she lifted one tan, stiletto clad leg and placed it between his legs right near his groin. She reached over and ran her fingers through his strands, mussing them even more. Elena considered that she was perhaps having too much fun with this, so without preamble, she straddled him completely. Propped on her knees, using his body for support, Elena leaned down and kissed him lightly on the cheek. "Imagine it's me," she whispered in his ear. Lifting slightly to kiss the other cheek, she whispered again, "Imagine I'm giving myself to you fully." She kissed him again, this time on the lips. This kiss was long and slow and sweltering. Elena thought her panties might melt off just from the image of it ablaze in her mind. Finally, she pulled apart and said earnestly, "It's ok. I love you."

Elena knew she was taking a risk. Damon might be mad at her for this. After all, hadn't he told her rather recently that he wanted this moment to be real between them? _Desperate times,_ Elena thought.

In the fantasy, it was her and not Patricia that held her arm in front of Damon's mouth. It was her that Damon bit into delicately with his fangs. It was her veins that he gently sucked the blood from, and it was her arm that he licked clean with his tongue when he was finished.

And Elena could feel it. She could feel everything like it was actually happening. The sharp pinch as his fangs penetrated her skin, the pulling sensation as he sucked followed quickly by an orgasmic, dizzy feeling that swept through her entire body, then the tickle of her skin as he licked her clean. She gripped the arm rests of her chair until her knuckles turned white, all too aware that keen eyes were upon them.

She let go of the fantasy just as Damon released the arm of the girl. She caught his eye and could feel the gratitude there. Elena was overjoyed as well. It had been a spectacular moment, a moment she couldn't wait to recreate in real life. But more than that, she realized they could communicate despite Klaus's presence and the compulsion. Perhaps there would be a way out of this after all.

* * *

An agonizing hour passed at the dining room table as Klaus practically force-fed Elena the five food groups and carried on banal conversation. Mostly he talked, and everyone else listened. He'd already covered the middle ages, great inventions, and New Orleans, and Damon could only roll his eyes as Klaus began talking about the renaissance period and the many great artists that he'd had the pleasure of studying under. And, apparently, feeding on from time to time. "Rembrandt was a favorite," Klaus's eyes twinkled at the memory. "What about you, Damon? Any favorite tasty treats in your time?"

Damon smiled genuinely. "Yes, actually," he answered. "As a matter of fact, your blood was some of the tastiest I've ever had the pleasure of drinking." Becoming more serious and more threatening, he continued, "I'd sure like to rip it out of your throat next time."

Klaus frowned. "Always the jokester, Damon," he said, rising from his seat. _Finally,_ Damon thought. "Let's see who's laughing when we're done." With that, Klaus walked over to the hidden door in the wall and pushed it open. There sat a brunette in scrubs and a lab coat flipping through an issue of _OK_ magazine. He couldn't help but laugh as he noticed the cover. His _Twilight_ pals, Kristen Stewart and Robert Pattinson, were splayed across the cover with text proclaiming, "Yes! They're in Love."

The woman looked up from her magazine at Klaus's interruption. "It's time, Love," he said, smiling his trademark dapper smile.

The lady stood and walked over to Elena. "Hi, sweetie," she said, kneeling down to Elena and touching her arm. "Glad you could make it in this morning. Let's get you up to the room and get you changed and we can get started."

"That's right. Up and at 'em, boys and girls." Klaus sing-songed, as the Hulk, who'd been hovering over Damon's shoulder the entire meal, grabbed his arm and forced him to his feet. _This guy is so dead,_ Damon thought as he attempted to shrug the brute off him. He was perfectly capable of walking all on his own.

"Oh, and dear doctor, before I forget," Klaus said, stopping in his tracks. "I'd like Damon to be the one to perform the procedure. Damon, you will be the one to impregnate Elena with Matt's sperm." Klaus clapped his hands together gleefully. Damon ran at him using his vamp speed, intending to what? He didn't know. His hands were still tied up, but he couldn't stand there and do nothing. He heard Elena yelp in the background, and then there was nothing.


	12. Chapter 12

A/N: I know! It's been like a year. I'm so bad. I lost all motivation for this story, but I'm really trying to finish it, so I can focus on my other story. It's been a busy year, but I'm going to try to do better. Unfortunately, not a lot happens in this chapter, but I felt I needed to get something posted to you guys. I think there will be at least one more chapter, then an epilogue. Please read and review! Thanks for waiting!

Chapter 12

Damon woke slowly, consciousness returning in bits and pieces. He was acutely aware of a sharp pain in his neck and winced. He felt more than heard the presence beside him, but the pain of his neck bones fusing back together dulled his self-preservation instinct. If someone was finally going to put him out of his misery, now was the opportune time.

"It's ok, Damon. You're ok," a familiar female voice said.

Pulling himself gingerly to a sitting position, Damon rolled his neck from side to side before focusing in on Bonnie. She was kneeling beside him in a room that looked and felt much more like the dungeon room you would expect a thousand year old sadistic vampire to have. Dank and dirty brick walls enclosed them, complete with chains hanging from the ceiling and a persistent dripping noise coming from somewhere in a corner.

"Are we still in Klaus's house? I thought he renovated?" Damon asked Bonnie as he took in their surroundings. "Remind me not to hire his construction crew."

Bonnie shrugged. "Maybe he left this part alone on purpose. It adds to Klaus's fear factor without him even having to lift a finger."

"That's just conniving. And ingenious. I think I might be a little in love." Damon fluttered his eyelashes for emphasis.

"Says the vampire with an actual jail cell in the basement of his creepy mansion in the middle of nowhere."

"Well, what is it they say? We hate in others the things we hate about ourselves? Can't the same be said for love?"

"We don't have time for this, Damon," Bonnie scolded, pulling a folded, yellowing piece of paper from the sleeve of her shirt.

"Sure we do. We have all the time in the world, Bonnie, because as long as I'm down here, I'm not up there impregnating Elena with Matt Donavan's little swimmers. What's that?" Damon asked, indicating the paper Bonnie was now chanting over, curiosity finally getting the better of him.

Bonnie put her finger to her lips then pointed at the door, then she hunched back over the paper and continued chanting softly. As Damon watched perplexed, he allowed the tiniest bubble of hope to well inside him. Even though he couldn't imagine what it was, it seemed Bonnie had a plan after all.

o-o-o-o-o

* * *

When Klaus had twisted Damon's neck in the hallway as easily as if he were breaking the neck of a chicken in the farmyard, Elena had felt her fear turn absurdly to relief. First, she was relieved that Klaus had not killed Damon. A broken neck was nothing to a vampire, and quite frankly, Damon had to be used to it by now. Second, it granted her a reprieve, even if it was a temporary one. Klaus wouldn't move forward with her impregnation without Damon because it just wouldn't be as fun without having them both there to torture. _This must be what a prisoner on death row feels like during a temporary stay of execution,_ Elena thought. Nothing was certain, but now there was hope.

While Gideon removed Damon from the hallway, the doctor continued to guide Elena to the little make-shift hospital room. Elena was instructed to change into a hospital gown and to relax on the bed. She was given a scratchy sheet to drape over her legs.

Elena thought back to her two other gynecological visits. It had been beyond awkward, but Elena was grateful. She had been able to get on the pill to help with cramping and acne; therefore, she had not had to worry about getting pregnant when she and Matt began fooling around. The irony was not lost on her now. After Jenna died, Elena had never gone back. She had started dating a vampire and didn't see the need to renew a prescription for birth control when she could not get pregnant. Thus, the only thing she could remember about the visits was how cold everything was, from the air in the room, to the metal of the instruments, to the doctor's hands during the perfunctory breast cancer screening. She was cold now, too, but it was more a cold dread than the actual air temperature. Being in this room and seeing the instruments again made it all more real.

Klaus refused to leave her alone as she changed. "I've had the pleasure of seeing it all before, Elena. No need to be shy," he had gloated, but still, Elena had turned her back to Klaus as she slipped out of her shirt and bra and into the hospital gown, all the while racking her brain for some solution to this nightmare she found herself in.

Elena had barely finished the awkward process of tying the hospital gown, when there was a commotion outside the door. A shout, followed by several loud thuds. Klaus wasted no time in striding purposely toward the door. _No fear,_ she noted.

Before Klaus reached the door, Stefan and Elijah burst through, and Elena found herself reflexively, if not absurdly, covering her chest with her arms. The two men together were able to off-balance Klaus long enough to push him against the wall. Stefan had his hand pressed tight to Klaus's chest. Elena scrambled to leave the room, determined to find Damon while she still had the chance.

In the hallway, Elena turned and came face-to-face with Caroline. "Oh, thank God!" the blond yelled. "Let's go. We have to find Matt." Caroline grabbed her hand and they began running down the ornate hallway.

o-o-o-o-o

* * *

"Where are they?!" Caroline near growled in frustration. They had checked every room on every floor and only run into hybrids that Caroline had to stop and fight. No Matt. No Damon. Note even Rebekah. Then Elena had an idea.

"I think I know how to find them," she said, grabbing Caroline's arm and stopping her from tossing another book from Klaus's library shelf. Caroline had had the idea that their might be a secret passage that appeared when pulling a secret, disguised lever. Elena thought she had seen one too many movies.

Caroline glanced at her curiously as Elena closed her eyes and concentrated. She had to come up with something quick so her imagination went to the first thing she could think of. She dreamt herself sitting at Klaus's desk, hair in a bun. Pencil skirt. White, button-up blouse. Pen behind her ear. Glasses. Every inch the librarian. They were in a library after all. And when she pictured Damon strutting to her across the room, suddenly he was there.

"Elena," he breathed, rushing to her, kissing her quickly. "Are you ok?"

"For right now," she murmured quickly, as she started undoing her buttons. If the fantasy didn't remain sexual, she could lose it. She didn't want to risk it. "I need to know where you are, Damon. Caroline and I are looking for you," she explained as she shrugged off the blouse completely.

"Naughty girl," Damon whispered as he slid his hand down from caressing her head. His calloused hands sending tingles of pleasure through her as it made its way down her neck and shoulder to her breasts. He swept his fingers lightly over her hardened peak and they both groaned in pleasure before he pinched her nipple between his thumb and forefinger.

Elena could barely concentrate, nearly forgetting the whole purpose of this endeavor. She squirmed in his arms. "Damon," she admonished. "Focus. Where are you?"

Damon removed his hand from her breast but continued to message her shoulder blade while holding her firmly against him with the other hand. He took a deep breath. "Best I can tell is, we're in a dungeon. It's dark and dank and drippy. Definitely below ground. I wasn't exactly conscious for my trek down here, Elena."

"Who is _we?_ Is Matt with you?" she asked hopefully.

"No, I'm awkwardly hard and I suppose currently catatonic in the presence of your best witchy friend, Bonnie. Luckily for me, she's a little too preoccupied at the moment to notice." He nuzzled Elena's neck for good measure and she shivered.

"Ok, we're coming to find you." She kissed him once more before dismissing the fantasy altogether. Elena recapped the basics to Caroline, only now realizing she shouldn't have been able to make a connection with Damon without him being in the same room. She briefly allowed herself to wonder about that, being glad that it hadn't been an issue, when Caroline shot up suddenly, grabbed Elena's hand, and headed toward to back door.

"I think I know where they are!"

In the dungeon, as he returned to himself from the fog of the fantasy, Damon realized he may not want to be found, not with Klaus's compulsion still sitting heavy on his chest.


	13. Chapter 13

A/N: Ok, this really should have been part of Chapter 12, but I was too eager to get something out to you guys, so here's the rest of this mess. I'm definitely glad this part is over. I'm ready to get back to our love birds.

Also, if you guys are interested, I've started a new story. It's called Moving On and it features (gasp) an AU/AH Elena and Klaus. I've got the first two chapters posted. I know this seems like a strange pairing, but I couldn't get it out of my head after reading After the Fire but Before the Flood by adlyb on AO3. If you haven't read that one, check it out. It's basically the only version of events in the TVD universe where I could possibly imagine Elena going for Klaus, but it's so good.

Chapter 13

Outside, Elena followed Caroline to the side of the house to a cellar entrance. _Of course,_ Elena thought gleefully as she watched her friend yank the storm doors open easily enough. Without hesitation, Elena began running toward the opening only to be stopped by Caroline's outstretched hand.

"He won't have left this unguarded. Let me go first."

Elena nodded reluctantly, following behind her friend at a safe distance. It didn't take long to find out that Caroline had been right. Another behemoth of a hybrid lunged at them almost immediately, but by now Caroline was old hat at taking them down. "Insert arm, grab, twist, and yank," Caroline dictated as she performed each action, finishing it off by a swift kick to the torso. The hybrid flew through the air and landed, sprawling, with a thud.

Once the body was out of the way, Elena could clearly see a murky hallway, several barred doors on either side. She ran to the first, elated to see Damon waiting there. "Are you ok?" she breathed.

"A little bored," he smirked, reaching through the bars for her hands. "Forget about me. How are you?" At this, he took in the sight of her, still half dressed in jeans and a hospital gown.

"I'm fine." At his skeptical face, she nodded vehemently. "Really. I am. Stefan and Elijah burst in to take down Klaus, and I got away. But we better hurry just in case." At this last, Elena broke away from Damon to search the dead hybrid for keys, but Caroline was way ahead of her.

"Catch," the blond said, throwing a key ring in her direction.

When Elena turned back to the cell, Bonnie was at Damon's side. "It's done," she said simply. "The spell is complete. Klaus should be gray and pasty by now."

For the first time in days, a huge smile stretched across Elena's face. "Thank you, Bonnie." Her heart felt near to bursting at the love she felt for her friends at that moment, thinking of all they had done to rescue her. Again.

Elena returned to the task of unlocking the cell when Damon surprised her, stilling her hands through the bars. "Don't!"

"What?" Elena looked up, surprised. "Why?"

"I'm not sure the desiccation lifted the compulsion. I'm going to back up to the corner. You let Bonnie out of here, then lock that door back ASAP. Grab Matt and Rebekah. Leave me."

"Damon, that's ridiculous. I'm not going to leave you down here to rot." Elena continued to put the key in the door.

"Wait. I'm not suggesting you leave me down here forever. Just until you can have the doc upstairs get you some Plan B and some spermicide or something. Better safe than sorry, Elena. I'm not taking any chances. You shouldn't either," Damon did that eye thing he always does and Elena found that she couldn't refuse him.

"Ok. I'll wait here with you then. It's not like I can compel the doctor anyway." At this, she turned to Caroline.

"I'm on it. Give me the keys. I'll let Bonnie out, just in case Damon tries anything. Then I'll grab the others." Caroline pointed in the direction of the other doors that Elena assumed must house Matt and Rebekah. "Then I'll take care of the doctor. We'll get you what you need, Elena, and all this will be over."

Elena felt the gratitude swell again.

"OK, you," Caroline snapped at Damon. "Into the corner where you belong."

-o-o-o-o-

Caroline and the gang had been gone a while. Elena and Damon leaned against the bars of the medieval dungeon door, back to back. Not the most comfortable, but neither wanted to be too far away from each other.

"Did you realize, earlier, I was able to initiate a vision without us being in the same room?" Elena asked.

"Hmm."

"Why do you think that is?" Elena continued when she didn't get a response.

Damon shifted, turning ever so slightly to look at her. Elena scooched back so she could see his face. "Maybe our bond is getting stronger. Bonnie did mention the visions would change the longer the spell went on." He smiled, though half-heartedly. "Won't be long before we're in each other's heads all the time."

Elena mock gasped. "Heaven forbid," she chided and giggled. She found it hard to believe she could laugh at all, after everything.

Then Damon turned completely. "Elena, look at me."

She did, without hesitation, sensing that what he was about to say was important.

When he locked eyes with her, he said, "Elena, take the key. Open the door. Don't run."

She felt the compulsion immediately. Her body moved without her permission. "Damon, don't do this," she whimpered as she turned the key in the lock. "You don't want to do this. It isn't you. It's Klaus." _Damnit! Why didn't I give the keys to Caroline before she left?_

When Damon was out of the cell, he took her hand and led her back outside and around the house. Before she knew it, she was back in that awful converted hospital room. No doctor. No Klaus. But evidence of the struggle was all around.

Damon leaned her against the hospital bed. He caressed her face, and she noticed a tear in his eye. A memory tried to flutter up, but she couldn't catch it. "I'm sorry, Elena. I'm so, so sorry." At least he had the grace to apologize as he bent down and delicately removed her jeans and underwear. Rising, he compelled her once again. "Lie down. Don't move off the table."

She strained against the compulsion, but it did nothing. She knew exactly how Damon was feeling right now. Every fiber of her being wanted to rebel against what he was saying, but she just couldn't. She had to lie down.

He slid her town the table until her bottom was against the edge, and he placed her feet delicately in the stirrups. His palm slid up her bare thigh and he stroked her knee lovingly, a wistful gaze in his eye. _He's saying goodbye_ Elena realized, watching him. _He thinks that after he does this, I'll never be able to forgive him._

Abruptly, Damon released her leg and looked around. Hope flashed through Elena when she realized what he was looking for. All the equipment was there, somehow miraculously still resting on the flimsy instrument table, but there was nothing in it.

"I'll be right back," he said, grimacing, and left the room.

-o-o-o-o-

Damon took his time searching for Matt's sperm. He knew the longer he took, the longer Vampire Barbie had of returning and rescuing Elena. Still, he couldn't make himself not look. His legs moved on their own accord.

He found it far too quickly. It was being refrigerated. In the kitchen of all places. He grabbed a vial and stuffed it in his pocket. Compulsion or no, Damon wasn't about to go carrying Donovan's giz in his bare hands. _Vomit._

Back in the room far too quickly, Damon watched heartbroken as Elena struggled to remove herself from the table. He hoped she could. He prayed that she was mentally stronger than he, but even if she was, he knew it wouldn't matter. He would just catch her again. Mental strength versus physical strength. In reality, there was nothing Elena could do.

As he approached her, she pleaded "Damon, you don't have to do this. Fight it. You can fight it."

"I wish I could, Elena. You have no idea how much I wish I could," he told her as he fought the waves of nausea that threatened.

He watched her slump back defeated as he picked up the syringe and removed the bottle of sperm from his pocked. He fiddled with the device a few minutes, but it was straight-forward. _Turkey baster indeed,_ he thought.

"Just wait," he heard her whisper. "Wait a few more minutes for Caroline to get back."

Damon was already shaking his head, but as if summoned at the mention of her name, Caroline rounded the corner. _How did I not hear her_ was his last thought before blackness engulfed him for the second time that day.

-o-o-o-o-

There was some awkwardness as Caroline and Elena waited for Damon to wake up. Elena was still stuck lying on the bed, compulsion intact, even if Damon's neck no longer was. They spent the time catching each other up on what had happened while they were apart the last couple of days.

Apparently, Caroline had gotten a call from Bonnie right after Damon and Elena had headed to Klaus's. She, along with Tyler, had had to restrain Stefan from barging over. That's when Elijah had shown up. At first, they'd planned for Damon to help initiate the desiccation spell, hence the note that Bonnie had magiced to their guest bedroom cell. But they realized they needed a plan B, so Stefan and Elijah were put on desiccation duty. Bonnie needed to be much closer to Klaus in order to perform the spell properly. She refused to take any chances. So she got herself caught snooping around his house by one of Klaus's hybrids. Elena knew everything else.

"Where is everybody else now?"

"Stefan took Matt and the doctor home and is taking care of the compulsion. They'll both wake up tomorrow thinking they've had the flu for the past few days. They won't remember anything else. Tyler and Jeremy are tailing Rebekah and Elijah for a bit. Just to make sure they really do leave town. We should hear from them soon," Caroline explained.

"And Bonnie?"

"I'm here," Bonnie said and she came around the corner and knelt beside Elena, taking her hand. I'm so glad you're ok."

Elena felt tears prick at her eyes. So many emotions flooded through her. Exhaustion along with continued apprehension at what was still to come mixing with relief that it was mostly over. But on top of everything, she felt a deep and abiding love for her friends. She was so grateful for these people in her life.

"So," Caroline said finally, breaking the mood, "have either of you ever used one of these thingys before?" She whipped out a pharmacy bag and pulled out a small box.

"What is it?" Bonnie asked.

"A diaphragm. To help keep Elena from getting knocked up. I know how they work, but I don't really know how to, umm, use it…" Caroline trailed off awkwardly.

Damon chose that moment to stir, catching all of their eyes. "Don't look at me," he quipped, "I'm sterile, remember?"

In the end, though, Damon removed the compulsion from Elena, and she was able to figure the device out alone, without an audience. Caroline had also brought her a Plan B bill from the pharmacy, and she had it and a glass of water on standby. Elena returned to the hospital bed when she was ready, but she didn't lie back down. When Damon came back in, apology written all over his face, she told him, "It's ok. It's not your fault," and she kissed his eye lids and ghosted his lips with her own before placing her hands over his on the syringe and helping him do that last thing he ever wanted to do.


	14. Chapter 14

A/N: Sorry for the excruciatingly long wait and the short chapter. I wanted to get something to you guys sooner rather than later, but at this point it was later rather than way later. Anyway, we're nearing the finish line.

Chapter 14

Once back at Elena's home, Damon refused to leave her side, treating her with kid gloves. He tucked her in bed, had Bonnie fetch a hot tea, and he patted her face with a wet cloth.

"Damon, knock it off. I'm not sick. I'm just exhausted. Can we just sleep, please," Elena begged.

Damon was all for sleep. And maybe a blood bag or two. He was in the process of acquiescing when he heard a crash from downstairs. He and Elena both jumped up and ran, fearing the worst. _Could it be Klaus? How did he escape?_

When they rounded the corner into the kitchen, they found Bonnie on her hands and knees picking up pieces of a China tea cup that had shattered all across the floor. "I'm sorry. I'm so, so sorry. Watch your step, Elena."

"Bonnie, are you ok?"

"Yes, I feel so silly," she said, rising from the floor and depositing the largest chunks in the garbage. Elena grabbed the broom from the utility closet, and returned to find Damon sopping up the spilled tea using a hand towel and his foot. She almost laughed at the sight of big bad Damon doing something so domestic. It was endearing.

"Did something happen? I should be fixing you tea, Bonnie. After that spell, you're probably in worse shape than I am."

"No, Elena, I'm fine. Really. I was carrying the tea upstairs when something Elijah said to me earlier clicked, and I dropped the tray before I even realized what had happened."

"Elijah? Did he threaten you, Bonnie?" Elena felt cold fear grip her body. She just couldn't stand her friends being in danger because of her.

"No, no. He was very helpful."

At this comment, Damon snorted audibly, tossing the rag in the sink, and grabbing the broom from Elena's hands. She hadn't realized that she's just been standing there, watching Bonnie carefully.

"You might actually be interested in hearing this, Damon. It has to do with the spell Klaus had me put on you and Elena."

Damon froze mid-sweep. "You could have led with that, Bon Bon, or were you just enjoying watching me channel my inner Alice Brady."

"Who?" Bonnie and Elena both stared at him confusedly.

"You know. The housekeeper from The Brady Bunch. You people are so young."

"I don't think she was a Brady. Didn't she just work for them?" Elena pointed out, matter-of-factly.

Damon started to answer her, but Bonnie hushed him. "You guys! We're getting sidetracked."

Damon poured the contents of the dust bin into the trash can and began washing his hands. The girls waited impatiently. When he was finished, Damon turned and nonchalantly leaned against the kitchen cabinet. "Oh," he said, feigning surprise, "were you waiting on me?"

Bonnie rolled her eyes. "Anyway," she said, "I was telling Elijah about the spell Klaus had me put on the two of you. He seemed very interested. He wondered if the spell had ever been used on a vampire before. He said, 'I can't imagine the witches ever intended it to be so, considering the wording.'"

"Weird. What else did he say?" Elena asked.

"That was it. We had more important stuff to talk about at the time," Bonnie shrugged.

Damon's eyes narrowed. "We're obviously not seeing something, Bonnie. Help us out. Why would Elijah find the vampire tidbit interesting?"

"Well the wording of the spell doesn't actually say that for the spell to be broken the relationship has to be consummated. It says that the couple must give themselves to one another 'physically and emotionally.' And for a human, the only real way to do that is sex. But for a vampire…" Bonnie trailed off.

Damon stood up straight, lightbulbs going off in his head. "Of course. Why didn't you say so before?"

Elena subconsciously touched her neck. She was busy imagining what it had felt like in her vision to give herself over to Damon in the way Bonnie was suggesting. She could still feel phantom pinpricks of pleasure even now just from the thought.

Misconstruing her silence, Bonnie quickly said, "I think the other way would still work, Elena. You know, if you prefer. I'm not encouraging you to be Damon's lunch. I just wanted you to have all your options."

Elena smiled at her friend. "Thank you, Bonnie. I'll think about it. You should go home and get some rest. Damon can take you, right, Damon?"

Damon hesitated for a moment, but then he noticed her resolute glare and conceded on the spot. "Yea, sure. I'll be right back though, ok?" And then he came closed and kissed her cheek. The gesture was so simple, so chaste, yet it felt so right. In that moment, she could envision all the future simple pecks on the cheek, comforting hugs, early morning cuddles, and everything else that came with being a real couple. Elena found that she couldn't wait.

* * *

Damon and Bonnie hadn't been gone two minutes when Elena felt a presence. She was doing a last cursory clean-up of the tea mess while she waited for her new cup of tea to steep, and she briefly thought about breaking the mop handle over her knee in case she needed a stake. Then she dismissed the thought, knowing instinctively she wasn't strong enough and would just get herself killed. She had settled on running when she heard a familiar voice say, "Elena," and clear his throat.

She turned. "Stefan?"

"Hey. I'm sorry if I scared you. I just wanted to check in on you. Are you ok?"

"I will be. Thanks to you and Elijah." She smiled and she hoped he could tell how thankful she was.

"I would never let Klaus hurt you. Not if I could help it," he said as he walked closer to her. He seemed so earnest and so regretful, probably thinking about how he did hurt her while he was under Klaus's control.

"I know that, Stefan. Thank you." Elena moved back to the kitchen island and picked up her tea. She blew on the surface to cool it just to give her something to do.

"I thought Damon would be here," Stefan said. His voice was nonchalant but Elena didn't miss the way his voice broke slightly and how he couldn't look her in the eye.

"He was. He took Bonnie home. I think he's coming right back."

"Look, Elena, before he gets back I need to talk to you. This spell. The sex one. We never got to decide anything about transferring the spell to me before all this other stuff blew up in our faces. I just want you to know—"

"Stefan, there's another way. Bonnie found another way."

"She did? But she said—"

Elena proceeded to explain what Bonnie had just realized about the spell. "It's a Godsend really. Now I don't have to feel rushed or forced into doing something I'm not ready for."

Stefan nodded solemnly.

"You don't agree?" she asked, incredulous.

"No, no. Of course I agree. It's not that. It's just, if you choose to go that route, I don't think I can help you. Or at least," at this Stefan looked down at his hands in shame, "I don't think it would be a good idea for me to try."

Elena's eyes widened at the implication. Mostly, she felt guilty because it hadn't even occurred to her that Stefan would still want to take Damon's place. Elena had never really considered Stefan's offer, even before the terms had changed. But she also knew the guilt Stefan must be feeling at his inability to control his blood lust enough to help her the way she would need to be helped.

She sighed and patted the stool next to her. "Stefan," she said once he was sitting, "I really appreciate that you want to help me. Honestly, it means the world to me. But I would never ask you to do something that would put you in a situation where you may accidentally hurt someone. I know you would never be able to live with yourself if something happened. I don't want you to feel bad about that. Damon can do it. And I trust him completely. He won't hurt me, okay?"

Stefan let out a long-suffering breath. Finally, he nodded his ascent. "Ok," he breathed.

"But Stefan," Elena continued, "I need to tell you that my feelings for Damon have changed. I'm not sure when, really. It sorta snuck up on me." As she talked, she couldn't help but think of Damon and his unruly hair and his ascorbic wit and his crystal blue eyes. "I know that he's the person I'm meant to be with, Stefan, and I'm sorry if that hurts you. But you need to know."

Stefan's face crumbled at her confession. He sat silently for a minute just starring at his hands. Finally, he said, "Were you going to sleep with him if it had come to that?"

Elena sighed and looked away frustrated. Finally, in a small voice that maybe a human couldn't even hear, she said, "I'm in love with him, Stefan."

The pair continued sitting in silence after that, surrounded by tension so thick you wouldn't be able to swim your way through it.

Finally, after what felt like hours, Stefan stood up. He nodded his head toward the front door. "He's back."

Elena stood, too. She signed heavily and nodded, waiting to see what Stefan would do.

"I think I'm going to leave town for a while, Elena."

Unbidden, tears sprung to Elena's eyes. She knew all along that this was a possibility, one she couldn't even blame him for. Not really. But it still stung. Somewhere along the way she had fallen out of love with Stefan, but that didn't mean she didn't still care for him fiercely. She would gladly face Klaus, Katherine, or any other monster that threatened him. She'd risk her life for this man over and over if she had to because that's what he deserved. And she hated that she had hurt him. She hated herself that she couldn't love him. She'd probably still be pretending she did if it hadn't been for the spell, but that wasn't fair either. She had to let him go.

Elena pulled Stefan to her, giving him one last hug. He pulled away just as the front door opened. Elena let go and turned to see Damon walking in. She thought she heard, "Tell him bye for me," but when she turned back toward the voice and Stefan, there's no one there.


	15. Chapter 15

A/N: First, I wanted to thank everyone for all your support and kind words. Also, thank you for your continued patience. Near the end of this work, I lost my inspiration, and it was really hard to finish it when I felt like I had other ideas bursting out of me. Plus, life. But Delena is my favorite, and I will always love them. Netflixing TVD and my favorite Delena scenes is my guilty pleasure. Thanks to that, I was able to regain some motivation to finish this off. I don't know if it turned out exactly how I wanted it to, but I'm happy I could complete it. I had always figured I would do an epilogue, and I'm still willing if you guys want it. Let me know! Thanks again, and be sure to check out my other stories with more coming soon, hopefully!

Chapter 15

Tick-tock. Tick-tock. Tick-tock. The clock on the mantle never sounded louder to Damon than in this moment as he waited for Elena to come back downstairs. He sent her up to shower and change over an hour ago, and he could tell that she was done. The water shut off ages ago. Still, no Elena. He stilled and listened for her breathing, thinking maybe she fell asleep, but the deep, heavy breaths of slumber weren't present. So either she was avoiding him because she was nervous or…

Then, as if in answer to his question, his ears picked up the scratch of a pen on paper. _Of course!_ Elena wouldn't have been able to resist writing in her journal after the last few days they've had together.

Relieved, Damon went back to preparing a snack for Elena. He rummaged through the pantry and the refrigerator, finding Elena's favorite things. He made up a tray with brie and crackers, Ghirardelli chocolate squares, grapes, and as a joke – but not really – vampire shaped fruit snacks leftover from Halloween. They were buried deep in the pantry and were probably expired, but it was worth the laugh. Finally, he put the water on to boil, and arranged an assortment of tea bags fanned out on the tray for Elena to choose from. Then, carefully, he placed different additives, including honey, sugar, and even cinnamon.

Damon became so engrossed in his task that he didn't even notice at first when Elena plodded down the stairs.

"What are you doing?"

"You need to eat. Go sit on the couch and I'll bring it out," he ordered, and Elena gladly obliged.

He walked over with the tray, placed it on the coffee table, and was pleased when Elena quickly grabbed a handful of grapes.

"Thank you. I didn't realize how hungry I was," she managed between bites.

Unable to take his eyes off her mouth, Damon licked his lips and nodded. She was a goddess, and as much as he was going to miss having Stefan around, he couldn't find it in him to be upset. He knew Stefan would get over all this eventually, and then he would come home. Everything would work out.

Elena tilted her head at him in question, and Damon's eyes were immediately drawn to the long line of her beautiful neck.

"What are you thinking about?"

Too many thoughts flitted through his brain at the moment for him to articulate them to Elena, so instead he just shrugged.

"I don't believe that for a second," she said, calling him out on his attempted evasion.

Damon smirked. God, he loved her.

Piercing her with his glacial stare, he simply said, "You." He felt her heart flutter at that.

He watched, transfixed, as Elena slowly placed her mug of tea back on the tray. She met his eyes and said, "What about you? Are you hungry?" She smiled, coyly.

He could tell she was nervous, but he thought he sensed eagerness there, too. At that thought, he could feel his fangs begging to pierce through his gums and he fought to keep the monster at bay.

When he finally felt under control, he sighed. "Elena, we don't have to worry about that tonight. You should just rest."

Elena was already shaking her head before he could even finish his sentence. "No, I'm fine. I don't need rest. It's not like anything I went through was strenuous, at least physically, anyway. And if we don't end this spell, well…"

She trailed off, looking nervous again.

"Well, what?" Damon pressed, raising his eyebrows at her in that flirty way of his.

She cleared her throat, obviously stalling for time as she thought of what to say. Damon waited patiently, reflexively reaching out to rub her knee.

She laughed and gently moved his hand. "Well, you're distracting, for one. These visions are more intense and stressful than anything. I don't know if I can go through another one and still be expected to keep my hands to myself. Not to mention the strain of trying to keep my thoughts to myself when I'm around you. I'm nearly constantly reminding myself to think about sad things just to keep myself from fantasizing about you in any way."

"Who said you had to?" he smirked.

"Damon," Elena said with her signature scold, the one that held equal amounts affection and derision in her tone. "You know how I feel about you. I mean, you can't not know." Elena couldn't hold eye contact. _Is she embarrassed?_

"I want us to be together, but I also think we need to take things slow." Elena began fidgeting, rubbing her fingers nervously. "I mean, I just broke up with Stefan tonight. If it weren't for this spell…" she trailed off again.

Damon understood. Really, he did. He expected this even as he hoped for a different outcome. But he could be patient. He'd proven that time and again.

He reached out to still her hands, weaving his fingers with her own. "I get it, Elena. It's ok." And she nodded with relief as his straightforward answer reassured her.

"Okay, so we're doing this now, then." He shifted to be closer to her on the couch. "What body part were you thinking? Traditionally speaking, the neck is a good place, but then again, the wrist has its advantages." As he spoke, Damon reached out and caressed the line of her neck with one hand as the other clasped her hand and gently began running pleasing patterns over the underside of her wrist with his thumb.

He felt Elena shiver before he continued, "Then, of course, there are other places." He chided in a whisper, lips touching the outer shell of her ear. He pictured these 'other places' in his head with vivid detail so she could see. She whimpered as he imagined biting into the underside of her breast, and she outright moaned as he visualized kissing and caressing his way to the apex of her thigh.

She shoved him and glared. "The neck will be fine," she managed to say between clenched teeth.

Damon threw up his hands in apology. "Okay, okay. Neck it is," He tried to calm his own unsteady breathing, but seeing how affected Elena was by his fantasy vision didn't help him with his endeavor. Instead, he used his already ramped up heart rate to call forth his monster. It was ridiculously easy to do.

Before he could move toward Elena, she stopped him. She cupped his face with her hands and slid her fingers across his blackened veins. He didn't know what he was expecting her to do, but the "I love you," she boldly stated while staring deeply into his eyes hadn't been in the top ten. But then, she's never been one to do what he expects. And isn't that part of the reason why he loves her? Besides, he doesn't think he will ever get used to the idea of her love, but honestly he doesn't think he wants to. Not now, not ever.

If he didn't know any better, he would think he was getting choked up. He quickly moved his eyes away from Elena's until they were focused over her left shoulder, and he swallowed hard in an attempt to dissolve the thickness that had formed in his throat. _What the hell, Damon?_

He mentally shook himself, trying to focus. It occurred to him that Elena might be waiting to hear the sentiment returned, but that wasn't his style. Over his long life, he found that, unfortunately, words were too often just that. He worked in action. He showed Elena he loved her day in and day out. He faced bad guys for her. He refrained from killing people for her, fighting all his natural instincts. He wallowed in his humanity for her. There's nothing he wouldn't do for her, really. If she needed him to say it, he would; however, for right now, he planned to continue doing as he always did. He would reassure her with his touch. He would prove himself by his presence. He would anticipate her needs. He didn't have to be perfect. He just had to be open to her love. The rest would come naturally.

It was easier said than done, being open to love, but Damon wasn't afraid of a challenge…even if his own ineptitude was the challenge.

At that thought, his mouth reflexively tilted up on one side in the most delicious smirk. He leaned forward and let the smirk morph to an all out feral grin. Elena's hands moved from his face to his shoulders then to his back as he leaned her against the couch cushions with his body. He heard her breath catch in her throat as he teased along the expanse of her silky, smooth skin. He laved against it and worshiped it and breathed against the wet skin until Elena shivered in his arms. He held her steady before whispering, "Ready?"

Elena gave a quick nod.

"I need to hear you say it, 'Lena," Damon requested.

"Ready," she managed to breath.

And then he bit.

* * *

Elena's thoughts raced in anticipation as Damon nuzzled her neck. Her skin flashed hot and cold and desire pooled in her core. Hanging on to thoughts was a near hopeless endeavor. She tried to think clearly. She tried to remember how many times she'd been bitten by a vampire in her short life, willingly or no. _This would be four, right?_ _Or was it five?_

And when Damon's teeth finally pierced her skin, she knew it wouldn't be the last.

She'd be lying if she said that Damon's bite didn't hurt because it did. In fact, it was downright painful, but it was painful in that beautiful way that your first time is painful. A pleasure-pain that rocked her to the core. She could feel herself getting dizzier with each pull of his lips, and she wondered if this might be a little like being high. She was flat out soaring. Addicted.

Elena wasn't aware of the moment when Damon stopped drinking. The feelings lingered, and she remained in his embrace, snuggled on the couch. And there was no place she'd rather be.

Finally, finally, he pulled away. A drop of blood trickled down Damon's chin, and Elena shakily used her finger to gather the remnants before bringing it to Damon's mouth. Damon steadied her hand with his own before licking away the stray blood, and Elena shivered under his ministrations.

They stared at each other a long time before Damon finally said, nodding toward the open wound on her neck that Elena was unconsciously cradling, "Let me heal you."

Even though the request was a statement and not a question, Elena knew that Damon wouldn't do anything without her consent. Normally, her reaction would be to say no. The risk of dying with vampire blood in her system was too great. Not to mention, she normally liked to keep the scars on her skin as a reminder of the danger and her fragility. She never wanted to get too cocky, too assured. But with Damon she felt none of that. He'd protect her, always. And if something went truly and terribly wrong and she became a vampire…well, she'd learn to be ok with that, too, because Damon would be by her side.

This thought shocked her because it wasn't something she had realized before now. For the first time, she found herself really contemplating vampirism as a life choice in a way she never had with Stefan. _And isn't that telling._

Elena nodded in response to Damon's request and watched in fascination as he tore into the skin on his wrist without so much as a flinch. She drank only a few drops, but she could feel the way he was affected by it as he pressed against her. She released his hand and moved to kiss him as she felt the puncture wounds begin to close.

He kissed her greedily after that, moving her until she was flat on her back against the couch cushions. His hands roved from her waist to her breasts and then down to her legs until he was cupping her ass. Elena longed to give in to Damon, but her senses were overwhelmed.

"Damon," she managed between hungry kisses. "Damon, wait."

He pulled back but his eyes were dark and hooded and his body was still hard against her.

Elena caressed his cheek and smiled affectionately at him. "I love you so much, and I want to be with you. I do."

He looked down, perhaps sensing the 'but' that she was about to utter, or maybe he was just trying to regain some control. Either way, she wasn't going to let him sulk. There would be no shame here. No hurt feelings. No regrets. They had both had enough of that to last a life time.

She took her hand and lifted his chin back up until their eyes met once again. "I don't want our time to be tainted by Klaus or Stefan or this spell or anything else. I want you, Damon, but I want it to be about you and me. Nothing else. I want it to be right."

She watched as understanding settled into his eyes. "We have forever, Elena," Damon said as he settled in beside her on the couch, positioning her until she lie nearly on top of him. "It's right, and we have forever."

And they fell asleep cradled in each other's arms and resting in each other's hearts.


	16. Chapter 16

A/N: Ahhh! We're done! Finally! Well, maybe? I had a reviewer say they were hoping for a Delana baby. I'm not going to lie that at one point in this story, it had crossed my mind. I dismissed it because I thought it was too farfetched, but who am I kidding? This is fanfiction! Who cares if it's crazy!? So I had an idea to do a second epilogue offering an alternate ending if anyone is interested. Review and let me know your thoughts. I'm happy to end it here as well, but I do have some ideas. As always, thanks for reading and thank you for those that take the time to review. It means a lot!

Epilogue

"Stefan! Stefan, we're going to leave without you!" Elena yelled up the staircase of the boarding house.

"You know how it is with baby bro," Damon said, coming around the corner. "Always has to have his hero hair just so," Damon pulled Elena to him, her back to his chest and nuzzled into her hair, play biting with his blunted teeth as they waited for Stefan in the foyer of the boarding house.

Elena squeaked and scolded, "Damon! We don't have time. Caroline is going to kill us if we're late." But she was laughing as she said it.

"I'm just keeping you occupied while we wait on Stefan. There's nothing wrong with that," he said seductively as he spun her around and backed her into the nearest wall.

Elena's breath caught and she struggled to remember the important thing they were supposed to be doing.

"Are you guys about done? We're going to miss the christening at this rate. You wouldn't want Tyler and Hayley to be named godparents in your absence," Stefan chided, loping down the stairs two at a time.

"That's not funny, Stefan," Elena said, even as she stifled a laugh imagining Tyler and Hayley trying to parent rambunctious twin girls together.

Stefan had been home for almost a year now. Caroline had remained in contact with him throughout his absence, making sure he was ok and keeping him posted on the gang. When she informed him of Jo's death and her subsequent pregnancy, Stefan had decided it was time to come home. The twins were a few months old now, and Caroline had jumped in to parent them as if she were really their mother. Elena knew Alaric was grateful. He hadn't even put up a fight when Caroline insisted on having the girls Christened. He had, however, insisted that Damon be named godfather, much to everyone's surprise.

Damon had blanched at Ric's request. Stefan had laughed, but Elena knew that he was secretly pleased. Caroline had just asked, "Are you sure you know what you're doing, Ric? With our luck, the odds of Damon having to raise the girls are pretty high."

Ric had just shrugged and said, "It'll be good for him."

The first few months Stefan was back had been the hardest. He was visibly uncomfortable in the presence of Elena and Damon, so much so that he would often stay at Caroline's under the guise of helping her out. "Someone has to run for ice cream at 2 in the morning when the cravings hit," he'd said. Over the days and months, however, the pair continued to grow closer until one day they surprised everyone by announcing that they were a couple. Caroline was as happy as Elena had ever seen her.

"No, what's not going to be funny is Caroline when we're late. She'll be out for blood. Damon, you drive." Stefan said, tossing Damon's keys at him as he walked out the door.

Elena moved to follow, but then she stumbled to a halt. Damon was in her head again. Even though he wasn't physically touching her anymore, she could feel one of his hands running down her arm and the other cupping her ass. Goosebumps appeared on her flesh as she tried but failed to stifle a gasp.

This had been a side effect of the spell Klaus had forced Bonnie to put them under. Or maybe side effect wasn't the right word. More a bonus prize? The intense visions had ceased after Damon and Elena had exchanged blood that night all those years ago. No more spontaneous, orgasm inducing visions in the middle of a jaunt around town in the Camaro, and, much to Elena's relief, they were able to keep their thoughts about each other to themselves…if they wanted to; however, now they had the option. As a vampire, Damon had always had the ability to get inside Elena's head – or anyone's for that matter – but before it had required intense concentration, and he had to be at his level best. It wasn't a party trick for a weak -minded vampire, to be sure. But now, he could get into Elena's head with just the slightest nudge, as long as she was amicable. And perhaps the more miraculous outcome was that Elena, even as a human, could do the same to Damon.

The gang hated it. The two lovers were constantly going silent, often in the middle of a sentence or conversation, because one had decided to go playing in the other's head space. They were constantly being reprimanded or accused of being inappropriate. Damon loved it. He would always fire back things like, "For all you know, I'm reminding her to pick up milk at the store." Or, "Maybe I'm just being polite and complaining about how boring you all are without saying it out loud." He never apologized, and even if Elena did, she was never really sorry.

As she felt Damon's fingers brush her sex over her panties, she tensed and waited expectantly. She heard him whisper in her head, "Later, my Love." Suddenly, Elena wasn't sure if she could even walk, even as Damon passed her and gave her a strange look for Stefan's benefit.

Stefan, becoming used to these antics, sighed audibly from beside Damon's Camaro. "Keep playing that game, Damon, but it's your funeral."

Damon chuckled, turned back around and threw Elena over his shoulder. He didn't put her down until they were at the car.

At the church, Damon watched Elena watch the babies. She was transfixed by every little coo and cry, and even though he knew she was happy with him and their life together, it was at moments like this that he couldn't help but have doubts. He couldn't help but wonder if Klaus had been right trying to push a baby and a human life upon her. Because, with him, she would never have any of it. And he knew that she had dearly wanted it not so very long ago.

As if reading his thoughts, she looked up at him and smiled. She didn't enter his head space, even though there was never a time Damon wouldn't welcome her to do so. No, Elena liked to be fully present for things like this. She even created rules for him to follow when it came to their new found super power, and out of respect for her, he followed them most of the time.

His favorite invasions were when they were alone at night in their bedroom at the boarding house. Usually, it was after making love, but not always. Sometimes, they just got in bed and reached for each other, and he would hold her and stroke her hair while dreaming something up for them both. Only at these times would he conjure up the family he had created for them once before, one girl and one boy. He always imagined them in the 1860s, and this was intentional. For one, it was when Damon was human and could have potentially been a father, if things had been different. But more than that, Damon was selfish. He feared if he pictured Elena now, with a baby or a family, that she would see what she had given up for him. She hadn't turned yet, and it wasn't too late for her to change her mind. She could still walk away, and seeing her now, like this, holding one of the twins snuggled in her arms, the fear nearly choked the breath out of him.

He somehow managed to make it through the ridiculous ceremony, where the babies were dressed in outfits they would never wear again and crying bloody murder when some scary man seemed to want to drown them. But Caroline was happy, and strangely his best friend and his brother seemed happy for once, too, so he didn't complain.

Back home and finally alone after the party that inevitably followed – thanks to Caroline, of course – Elena took down streamers and packaged leftovers and cleared away wrapping paper – Did you know you had to buy babies gifts for every little achievement? And with twins, you had to buy two of everything? – Damon gathered his courage and nudged Elena's mind.

He knew the way it felt because she sometimes did it to him, although more often than not it was the other way around. There was a sensation of heaviness, like the beginning of a head cold – This description was according to Elena, because Damon didn't exactly remember head colds – Then there's a moment after the feeling settles over you that you could block it, kind of like when you push a daydream away or attempt to clear your mind of thoughts. All of this would happen in mere seconds.

She accepted his intrusion with a quirk of her lips. She didn't look his way though. This was a game they often play, pretending like nothing was amiss. She'd surely be expecting something naughty, something worthy of being whisked away up the stairs to be taken advantage of. After all, hadn't he promised her as much earlier? But that wasn't his intention. At least, not now.

Instead, he imagined them sitting on the carpet in front of a roaring fire, the sofas pushed back, the coffee table replaced by a baby swing, baby paraphernalia every which way you looked. Elena was sitting toward the edge of the carpet, holding her hands wide, saying, "You can do it. Walk to Mommy," and Damon sat behind a little munchkin with black hair and brown eyes. He stood on wobbly legs and squeezed his daddy's fingers tight with his little fists, refusing to let go.

Elena gasped audibly at the scene forming in her mind. In her head, she asked, "What are you doing, Damon?"

And just like that they're pulled out of the scene, and he's staring at her intently. "Don't you ever wonder about it, Elena? Don't you ever feel like there's something missing?"

His heart contracted as he watched her look away immediately. Her averted eyes had him fearing the worst or sensing a lie. But then he became surprised when she smiled.

Elena walked across the room with a purpose, grasped his shoulders and squeezed, "Damon, listen to me. I love you. No one can have everything they ever wanted out of life, but if I can't have those things with you then I don't want them anyway. I'm happy. Stop trying to poke holes in this, in us. We're happy."

He's unconvinced but unwillingly to admit it. Besides he didn't plan to press the issue. The last thing he would want would be for her to discover that something was lacking. Why he asked in the first place was a complete mystery.

But, clearly, she could tell he continued to be doubtful. She released him and marched toward the stairs. He felt her nudge his head and he let her in without hesitation. In his head, she was still standing before him. She grabbed his hand and positioned it on her thigh, moving it closer and closer to her panty line. "I want you to feel me, Damon," she whispered in his ear.

Damon knew that she was trying to distract him, yet he complied by slipping two fingers under her panties and into her warm flesh. She whimpered as he continued his ministrations, alternating dipping and rubbing languid circles, and Damon felt himself harden despite himself

"We may not be able to procreate, Damon Salvatore, but that doesn't mean we can't have fun pretending to try. Now, why are you still standing downstairs all alone when I'm naked in your bed?"

Damon moved faster than he ever had before. He was undressed and on top of her before she was done laughing, and when he moved to kiss her neck, the laughing stopped abruptly. This had become there favorite thing, the biting. It was one of the reasons Elena hadn't turned yet. Sure, there were other reasons – big, important life reasons – but Elena feared the blood sharing wouldn't be as potent when she was a vampire.

Damon tried to reassure her. He knew from experience that vampire's giving and taking blood from one another could be amazingly sensual. He didn't press the issue though because he knew he would miss her taste. Besides, he hesitated for a different reason altogether. He worried about the state of their shared connection. Would Elena becoming a vampire sever this wonderful gift they'd been given? He didn't want to lose this connection he could initiate regardless of even proximity. And knowing the witches and their balancing acts, he was sure to lose.

Still, he knew they wouldn't wait much longer – some silly stipulation of Elena not wanting to be older than him when she turned. But for now, they had time. For now, he'd relish the human girl before him. He would languish in her sweat and in her sweet blood. He would get high on her rapid breathing and her increased heart-rate. He would soar because of her all-too human smell. He'd love her now just as he'd love her then, just as he would continue to love her, forever and always, no matter what happened, because it really was right.

Fin


	17. Chapter 17

A/N: Wow! This alternate ending got completely out of hand. I've decided to post it in two parts. Let me know what you think! Love you guys. Thanks for the encouragement. 😊

Epilogue 2: Alternate Ending – Part I

Damon loved this part. When he pierced Elena's skin with his sharp incisors and she arched beneath him before falling apart in his arms with him not far behind. Granted, they hadn't done this often. Elena was still human and she required a certain amount of blood to function optimally. In fact, this was only the second time Damon had partaken of Elena's delicious blood since they'd ended the spell – about 3 months ago – that had brought them together in the first place. Since this indulgence was so rare, he planned to enjoy every last drop.

Damon pulled and sucked at the puncture wounds, prolonging Elena's ecstasy, but then he released her and allowed the wound to weep. Gathering the dripping blood with a steady finger, he made a trail of enticement all the way down to her navel and beyond. Then, returning to the start, he traced his tongue down the path he'd laid for himself, meticulously lapping up the ruby red goodness, and if he spent more time than necessary licking and sucking her luscious breasts…well, who could blame him?

Elena squirmed beneath him, already ready for more, and he was happy to oblige. He flipped her over and pulled her up until she was on all fours in front of him. He re-entered her from behind with a swift thrust and she cried out. God, he was so gone for this girl. He plunged into her again and again while reaching around with eager fingers. He rubbed her clit greedily, roughly, holding almost nothing back.

"Fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck." She called and kept calling until the curse words were just barely intelligible noises. She reached out to steady herself, grabbing the headboard with both hands, knuckles white. The new position placed her in the most mouth-watering position. Damon couldn't help but move the hand that had previously been on her hip to her buxom chest. He groped and teased, flicking her nipple until Elena's backward thrusts became sloppy with pleasure.

Damon liked to believe that he had stamina and control. He liked to believe that he was the god of sex. He liked to believe that he could run circles around any other lover. But when it came to Elena, her obvious enjoyment always undid him. He managed only a few more thrusts before reaching release, with her following quickly after.

They fell together in a heap on Damon's – correction, on their – four poster bed. Sheets tangled, pillows askew.

"That was amazing," Elena said as she sighed happily, moving into his arms until he was spooning her close.

Damon lifted his own wrist awkwardly and ripped it open with his still sharpened teeth. He brought it to Elena's mouth in order to heal the wounds on her neck. She ingested the necessary amount, but she didn't stop there. She continued to hold his hand in hers, licking until all the blood was gone. Then she placed feather-light kisses over his veins. It was more intimate than any moment he'd experienced before, and his heart might have flipped over just a little bit. As they fell asleep happy in each other's arms, Damon found he was glad Elena didn't have super hearing. He had to hold on to as much dignity as possible.

* * *

Sleep had always been a reprieve of sorts for Damon, especially after becoming a vampire. He loved sleep for the break it gave him from all the emotions and his heightened senses. Granted, he didn't wallow in sleep like some depressed human. He didn't find comfort in it. That wasn't vampire nature. A depressed vampire usually just flipped the figurative switch, and if not, a bloody kill usually took care of any mental anguish – at least temporarily. No, sleep wasn't really a coping mechanism, but he still enjoyed it.

And, he had to admit, that sleep had gotten even better lately now that he and Elena were together. Going to bed with her in his arms and waking up with her head cocooned in the space between his neck and shoulder, well, that was akin to Heaven for him.

This morning was no different. He woke up to the smell of her hair and the feel of her skin and the beat of her heart. _Wait, was that a second heartbeat?_ Damon stiffened. Someone else was in the room with them.

He continued to feign sleep as he listened intently, but other than the extra faint heartbeat, he could hear nothing. Perhaps the house guest was in another room altogether.

Damon dared to open his eyes a crack, but when he saw nothing, he opened them further and dared to look around. He sat up completely and Elena shifted away from him. When she resettled, he took a moment to appreciate the beauty of her naked form before straining his ears outward once more.

It became clear rather quickly that the extra heartbeat was coming from Elena. Damon felt sick. He couldn't move, he couldn't breathe, he couldn't' speak. The implications were crashing around him. He simultaneously longed for the oblivion of sleep from just moments before while also wishing to rip someone's throat out.

Elena stirred. She looked up at him and smiled, but then she immediately frowned. She lunged off the bed and ran to the bathroom. Damon could hear her heaving, but he was still too numb to do anything.

A few minutes later, Damon listened to the sink run and water splash in a detached manner. Elena came back into the room, red with embarrassment. "I don't know what happened. I must have eaten something last night that didn't agree with me. I hope I'm not getting sick. I've missed enough school already."

Damon still sat unmoved.

"I'm going to go home and get ready for school." She walked up to him and kissed the top of his head. "I'll see you this afternoon."

Damon stared at her stonily.

"Damon? What's wrong?"

His glare was starting to unnerve her, he could tell. Finally, willing his voice to work, he spat, "You're pregnant."

Elena gasped and grabbed her stomach.

"How could you know?" she asked, voice wobbly as tears sprang to her eyes.

"I can hear the heartbeat, Elena." He said, voice cold, eyes dark.

"But we were so careful." Elena sobbed. "The diaphragm, the plan B. How could this happen?"

"Yes, Elena. Please, do enlighten us? How could this happen?"

"Damon, why are you being so mean?"

He was tempted to yell at her, to roar his frustration, hurt, and betrayal onto her, but something inside him stopped him. He deflated, exhausted. He barely managed to whisper, "Just go, Elena. I can't stand to look at you."

She gasped, shocked. "Damon, I don't understand. Can we talk about…"

Damon, now enraged, roared, "Get out, Elena, before I tear your throat out!"

She grabbed her dress off the floor and wrapped it around her in one quick motion before running out the door.

Alone, Damon began to sob. He'd been so happy. Now everything was ruined.

* * *

Elena slowed down long enough to throw her dress on in the foyer before grabbing her keys and jumping in her car. She fumbled with trying to put the keys in the ignition for a bit, but she wasn't in the right head-space. Her whole body was shaking, her hands were jittery with nerves and dread and shock. Finally, she just dropped the keys to the floor board, laid her head against the seat, clutched her stomach, and sobbed.

* * *

Saying the next few days were tough on Elena would be an understatement. She was trying to come to terms with the idea of being pregnant and of becoming a mom at eighteen. And if that wasn't bad enough, the love of her life was spending his time ignoring her and getting drunk at The Grill. She could honestly say that dealing with Katherine and even Klaus had been easier than this. If it weren't for Bonnie and Caroline, she wouldn't have made it through.

But even with the girls going with her to her first ultrasound appointment where Meredith confirmed her pregnancy, and even with a life growing inside of her, she still felt all alone without Damon by her side.

Elena just couldn't understand the flip. He'd been so kind and gentle when they had first found out what Klaus was up to. Hadn't Damon been the one to encourage her to raise a baby with Matt in the first place? Hadn't he shown her how, at one point in his life at least, he'd wanted to be a father? It's not like any of this was Elena's fault. She didn't choose it. So why was he acting as if she had?

Then an idea struck her which prompted her to drive straight to The Grill and face Damon head on.

* * *

Damon vaguely noticed Elena slide onto the bar stool next to him, and he tried to ignore her as he took another deep sip of his whiskey. She continued to stare and he continued to ignore and drink deeply. Her presence was unnerving. He tried to disregard the part of him that wanted to reach out and touch her, but he was done with all that. He wouldn't be betrayed by a doppelganger again.

"You know, it's not exactly couth to be a pregnant woman at a bar," Damon slurred at her finally.

Elena flinched, "You're drunk."

"Gold star, Sweetheart."

"This probably isn't the best time for us to have this conversation, but since you always seem to be drunk these days, I'll just say it. I don't know what I did to make you so angry. None of this is my fault. Then it occurred to me that maybe you want me to get rid of the baby now that we're together. Is that it? Are you mad because I didn't immediately offer to have an abortion? Because if that's the case, you didn't exactly even give me time to absorb that I was pregnant, Damon. I'm willing to discuss options with you if you'll just fucking talk to me."

The whole time Elena was talking, Damon's eyes were widening in disbelief. _How can she be so incredibly dense?_

When she finally shut up, Damon snarled at her. "I know this baby isn't from the whole Klaus debacle, Elena. I _know_ you had to have fucked some rando since supposedly being with me. You can give up the pretense. I'm done." He glared at her, waiting for her reaction.

He expected her face to morph from confusion to understanding to guilt, but all he saw was confusion and maybe contempt. And for the first time doubt flittered around in Damon's head. What if there was another explanation for all this?

"Damon," Elena started slowly, as if he was a small child and Elena was trying to explain something complicated to him, "I've only had sex with you." She had lowered her voice to an angry whisper. Even in anger and distress, Elena still tried to preserve decorum.

He wanted to believe her. Really, he did, "And before that?" he asked.

"Stefan and I hadn't been together for a while, but he couldn't have gotten me pregnant anyway. You know that. I don't understand what's happening here."

Damon sighed and rolled his eyes. She clearly wasn't going to give up the game unless he spelled it out for her. "Elena, that night Klaus compelled me to impregnate you with Matt's little swimmers, yes?"

Elena nodded.

He continued, "I went to find the extra vials, and then I had an idea. Klaus's compulsion was specific. I had to inject Donovan's junk into you, but I figured out a loop-hole. I dumped all but about a quarter of the contents of the vial down the sink. Then I provided a sample of my own," at this, Damon's eyebrows rose twice in what he was hoping was a seductive manner. "Finally, I filled the vial with my sample, effectively killing Matt's little guys with my own."

Elena just stared, confused.

"Elena, my vampire guys would have killed Matt's human guys instantly. I pumped you full of nothing. There's no way your pregnancy had anything to do with that night." Damon looked at Elena fully now, making sure she would understand what he woefully understood already. "If you are pregnant, it's because of someone else, sometime else."

Elena sucked in a sharp breath and then she slapped Damon across the face. "You're wrong."

Damon was all too familiar with being slapped by Elena, and he allowed it for posterity's sake. "I'm not wrong. Perform a science experiment. I'm sure ole' Doc Meredith would be happy to help you out."

"Damon," she said so gently he winced, "there has to be another explanation. I haven't cheated on you. Damon, look at me." When he did, she touched his face and he resisted the urge to pull away from her. "I haven't cheated on you," she repeated.

He didn't say anything. He just looked into her eyes with a deep sorrow. _How could it be true?_

"Compel me and ask me," she finally said, confident.

And it was his turn for his eyes to widen. "You're on vervain."

Elena reached up and unclasped her necklace. "I stopped drinking it when I found out I was pregnant. I wasn't sure it would be good for the baby." She sat the necklace on the bar top and waited. When Damon did nothing, she ordered more forcefully, "Compel me."

In one swift motion, he turned and grabbed her head, weaving his fingers in his hair. He got into her face until he was only inches away, "Elena, tell me the truth. Have you had sex with anyone else except me and Stefan this year?"

He watched her pupils widened and return to normal as the compulsion took hold. She answered robotically but truthfully, "I have not had sex with anyone other than you and Stefan this year."

Damon let go of her and sighed. _What the fuck is going on here?_

"Maybe you were wrong about the sperm thing, Damon. It's ok. I'm not mad at you. I just want you back. Please, don't abandon me with this. I need you."

He ignored all the most important parts of what she'd said. "I'm not wrong, Elena." He sat quietly thinking for a few minutes, trying to suss out any other explanation.

Finally, he lit up, "You were compelled."

"What?"

"It's so obvious. I can't believe I didn't think of it already. Klaus had a backup plan. If the injection didn't work, he had you compelled to sleep with as many guys as possible until you got knocked up."

"I just told you," Elena said exasperatedly, "I haven't slept with anyone else."

"You were compelled to forget."

Elena looked frightened for a moment, but then her face hardened, "No. No, Damon. I've been with you almost every night since the whole Klaus debacle. When would I have had time to sleep with all these other men? Besides, until just days ago, I've been drinking vervain."

"And just ask the knife that impelled Jenna's stomach just how easy it is to switch someone's vervain supply?" Damon snarked back at her.

He watched doubt flick across her face again. Then, in horror, he watched a tear slide down her cheek. She wiped it away furiously. "Either way, Damon, I haven't done anything wrong and you're being an ass." With that, Elena slid off her bar stool and walked away without looking back.

It took him a whole five minutes to realize she was right and run after her.

* * *

With Damon back on her side, things were significantly easier. He was appropriately contrite, and with her ultrasensitive breasts, the sex was amazing. After, he lay with his ear to her stomach and listened to the little heartbeat. Moments of silence passed, and Elena thought he'd fallen asleep like that, but then he said, "I don't know how this is all going to work, Elena, but I'll help you figure it out. I'll do whatever it is you need me to do."

"You don't want me to have an abortion?" she managed to ask. She didn't know what she would do if he said yes.

"Elena, it's like you think I don't know you at all."

She huffed a laugh. "Well, you thought I would cheat on you, so maybe you don't."

He lifted his head to smile at her. It wasn't like Damon to apologize, and she didn't expect it; therefore, she was pretty surprised when he says, "I'm sorry about that, by the way. I guess I'd just been waiting for the other shoe to drop, and that felt like the appropriate sized steeled-toe work boot, if you know what I mean?"

Elena nodded. She did know. He would often admit while they were making love or cuddling or just spending a nice day together that he couldn't believe it was real. He never expected to get the girl. He didn't feel like he deserved it.

He scooted up the bed toward her and placed his forehead to hers. "And to answer your question, no. I don't want you to have an abortion."

"Okay," she half whimpered, half croaked as she tried to keep the tears at bay, and he kissed her. It felt like home, and she knew everything would be okay.

* * *

"You guys up for a road trip?" Meredith asked as she met them at the door of the hospital.

Elena and Damon looked at each other, confused.

"Come on. Let's go pick up Matt, and I'll explain on the way."

After Damon's confession about tampering with the injection, the couple had gone to Bonnie hoping that she would be able to determine if Elena had been compelled or if the conception had been some other sort of supernatural occurrence. Bonnie did some research but couldn't find anything significant. She said she could possibly undo a compulsion, but it would be painful and bad for the baby. She didn't recommend it, especially if they weren't sure one existed in the first place. Instead, Bonnie had sent them to Meredith to help rule out Matt as the father. Meredith agreed to help straight away.

"We can do the test here, send it off, and wait a week for the results like normal," she explained once Matt was in the car, "but if something comes back abnormal, we'd be inviting trouble. I thought that as long as Damon was coming anyway, we could put him to work compelling everyone and then just do the test ourselves. We just have to drive to the lab. It'll be fun!"

Meredith's pep was unexpected but contagious. Elena couldn't help but laugh.

Meredith directed them to the DNA Diagnostic Center in Richmond. While they drove, she explained the non-invasive prenatal paternity test. Paternity could be determined safely with just a cheek swab from the potential father and blood work from the mother. It was 99.9 percent accurate.

Damon scoffed. "This sounds like a pointless endeavor. What we should be doing is trying to find a way to recover Elena's lost memories safely. That, or we could ignore the daddy dilemma altogether."

"What are you saying, Damon?"

"Just that, why do we have to find out who the father is?" He paused a beat while Elena stared at him. He shrugged and finally offered, "I'll help raise it." He glanced at her for a moment. Elena could tell he was nervous. Normally, he'd have no compunction about looking away from the road. He liked to show off his vampire reflexes. "I mean, if you would want that." He tagged on at the end.

Before Elena could say anything in the affirmative, Damon glanced at the review mirror. "What do you think, Meredith? I could teach this kid how to have real swagger."

Meredith snorted from the backseat. "That's all we need. Another little Damon Salvatore running around."

"Kill me now," Matt chimed in.

The moment was ruined and Elena didn't know how to get it back. She pictured the two children from the vision that Damon had given her during their time imprisoned at Klaus's home. The two children she'd come to think of as theirs, even though they weren't real. She knew the truth. Damon would be a great father. She didn't doubt it even now. She just didn't know how to tell him.

* * *

Compelling their way into the lab was easy. Meredith wore her lab coat and her hospital badge, and Damon told the receptionist that she was a visiting technician from corporate making annual checks. They were escorted through to the DNA lab without hesitation.

Elena took in the sterile space, the chrome and white surfaces, the microscopes, the men and women meandering around in lab coats and plastic goggles. A few of the workers looked up at them as they entered, but they all returned to their tasks without comment. Most were too consumed in their work to notice.

Meredith walked over to a work space. She took out a vial of blood from her bag, a sample Elena had provided a week ago at her pregnancy confirmation appointment. Then she procured a Q-tip and swabbed Matt's cheek. She placed the sample in a medical receptacle and labeled it "Sample One." Then, to Elena's surprise, she procured another Q-tip and handed it to Damon.

"Okay. Your turn," she said.

Damon looked at her quizzically. "Do you need a refresher course in Vampirism 101?"

"Well, if anything about this pregnancy were normal, we wouldn't need to do this at all. Just give me the sample, Damon, and then get to work compelling these people. Since this isn't my area of expertise, we'll need to ask one of these lovely doctors to perform the test. This is basically all they do here, so any of them should be able to help us."

Damon yanked the Q-tip away from Meredith, swabbed his cheek, and thrust it back in her face. He muttered, "what a waste of a good Q-tip," before he walked over to a balding man with a wrinkled forehead and a pocket protector. Elena watched as Damon spoke to him quietly. Seconds later, the man was walking toward them, glassy eyed.

The doctor, whose name badge read "Edwards," took the bloodwork and both samples – Damon's now clearly marked, "Sample Two" – from Meredith without question, then he looked at Elena, "These tests aren't instantaneous. They take time. That's why this isn't usually done in person."

Elena nodded. "We understand. We'll wait."

The testing took all day. Damon eventually got bored and started wondering around the facility. Elena, Matt, and Meredith stayed put and chatted. When Damon eventually returned, he brought with him a pack of Uno cards from the break room. They whiled away the remaining hours playing Uno and yelling at Damon for cheating.

"There's lots of blood in this place," Damon noted off-handedly allowing the veins below his eyes to darken and swim.

"Don't you dare," Meredith warned even as Elena felt a jolt of arousal run through her.

 _What the fuck is wrong with me that I was turned on by that?_

"It was just an observation. Besides, I had a snack before we left home." He winked at Elena and smiled smarmily at her, because of course he could tell how she was feeling. He could probably smell it.

Elena sighed before dealing a new hand.

* * *

Finally, Dr. Edwards came back. Damon had picked him because he looked like the brainiest of the lot, and he did seem pretty invested in his work.

"I've never seen anything quite like this sample," he said again. He'd told them this quite often throughout the day, and Damon couldn't wait to compel him to forget all about this.

"What did you find, Doc?" Damon urged.

"Well, 'Sample Two' is indeed the father of this, this, this…" the doctor trailed off at a loss.

Damon had been pretending disinterest until this point, shuffling the Uno cards in one hand like a card shark. But at the doctor's words and Elena's gasp, the cards went flying across the lab.

"Oh, dear. This is a sterile environment. We'll have to pick those up," the doctor mumbled.

"What did you say?" Damon asked, bewildered.

"We'll have to pick up the cards at once."

"No, no. Before that," Damon said exasperated. He walked up to the doctor and grabbed him by the tie, but it was a clip-on, so the tie just snapped off in his hand.

"Who is the father?"

"Presumably, you are, if you were indeed the giver of the second sample that was provided to me. But what you are and what the fetus is, that I cannot say. Not human, definitely. It is quite the mystery." The man continued to ramble to himself.

Damon looked stupefied.

Meredith managed to ask, "Are you certain you didn't get the samples mixed up?"

The doctor looked deeply offended. "Excuse me, miss, but I've been doing this job for longer than you've been alive. I don't make mistakes like that. I'm not a millennial."

Matt laughed, but he was the only one.

Damon stepped forward with purpose and grabbed the doctor's face none too gently. "Forget all about this. We were never here. You got to work this morning and felt ill. You went home sick. You didn't do any work today."

Damon released the doctor and watched as he cleaned up his things and headed toward the door.

Afterword, without saying a word to Elena, Damon went around the room and started compelling the other staff members to forget about their presence. He was acutely aware of Elena and Meredith and even Matt. He noticed their disbelief and Elena's elation. He could feel her eyes on him, but he wasn't ready to process the information. It wasn't possible.

When he'd finished his rounds, he said, "I'm going to compel the receptionist and check security – make sure we aren't on camera anywhere. I'll meet you guys at the car."

"Damon –" Elena tried to get his attention.

"I'll just be a minute. Go, Elena." He pushed her out the door.


	18. Chapter 18

A/N: It's not perfect but here it is. I hope it meets your standards. I wanted to thank you guys again for reading and sticking with me from the beginning. Enjoy!

Epilogue 2: Alternate Ending – Part II

Elena picked up and put down her phone half a dozen times before finally going through with it. She wasn't sure he would answer, and as she listened to the phone ring for the fifth time, she began to lose all hope. She hadn't realized she was holding her breath until she heard the hesitant, "Hello?"

"Hey, Stefan. It's Elena." _No shit, 'Lena! He knows that._

"Is everything okay?" Stefan couldn't mask the edge of hopefulness in his voice. Not from Elena. He probably answered at the slight chance that Elena might be calling to tell him she'd changed her mind. Elena hated to burst his bubble, but it had to be done.

"No, Stefan. Not really. I have some news and I need your help."

* * *

The idea to call Stefan had been Caroline's. She'd suggested it after finding Elena in hysterics a few nights after the now infamous field trip to Richmond. "This simply is not acceptable, Elena. It's not good for the baby."

Caroline was up to date on the facts. The doctor's bomb drop, Damon's initial reaction, and his actions immediately following the news. The group had driven home in silence, and Damon had proceeded to drop Elena off first, but not at the boarding house where she'd been living with him for weeks. No, he had dropped her off at the Gilbert house, which in and of itself was telling. He then proceeded to tell her he needed to get Matt and Meredith home. He managed to look her in the eye and say, "I'll talk to you later," yet she'd heard nothing since.

Elena had called and called, but Damon just sent her calls to voicemail, and he left every text message unanswered. He wouldn't respond to any one, not even Ric. And what was worse, no one knew where he was.

The gang took turns checking all his usual haunts, from the boarding house to The Grill to the cemetery. After a reluctant call from Elena, Sheriff Forbes even searched for reports of unusual animal attacks throughout the US. Ric followed-up on those for her, but they came to nothing.

So calling Stefan was a last resort, but a necessary one.

* * *

Stefan came home without even having to be asked. When he saw Elena, she watched tears form in his eyes, and at first Elena wasn't sure if they were tears of hurt or anger or what really, but then he stepped toward her and placed a hand on her belly as he looked down in awe. Then, meeting her eyes as a tear streamed down his cheek, he said, "I never thought I'd get to be an Uncle."

Elena cried then, too – not that she hadn't been crying enough as of late – and they hugged. She felt happier than she'd felt in days when Stefan whispered in her ear, "Congratulations, 'Lena. You'll be a great mom."

* * *

Even with Stefan's help, the search for Damon was fruitless.

"If his goal is to disappear, it would be easy for him to do. He's a vampire. Vampires don't need money, clothes, papers, anything. We can compel our way into oblivion. If Damon doesn't want to be found, we won't find him," Stefan told her gently one night after a long day of searching.

With everything she'd been through in her short life, Elena was learning to be strong. She held in the tears this time and tried to harden her heart. She had a little life to think of now, after all.

"But Elena," Stefan continued.

She looked over at him as rain began to pelt the windshield of his car.

"I think he'll come around eventually."

Elena had to bite the inside of her cheek to keep the tears from falling this time. She nodded and turned back to the window, watching the rain drizzle down.

* * *

Elena continued to go to check-ups with Bonnie and Caroline in tow, and she continued to take her pre-natal vitamins – _do half-vampire babies even need vitamins?_ She went shopping for baby clothes and made a baby registry. She tried to continue on with her life as normal.

Elena found a beautiful Pottery Barn crib and fell in love. After looking it over, Stefan said he should be able to make it for her without any trouble; she accepted without even having to think about it, but then Caroline asked, "Where are you going to put it?"

Elena didn't answer. She supposed that she would have to convert Jenna's old room into a nursery. Or maybe she should move into the master suite and make her own room the nursery. She wondered what Jeremy would think and if he'd be mad about an infant waking him up at all hours of the night.

As if sensing her hesitation, Stefan said, "Pick a room upstairs."

Shocked, Elena looked at him questioningly.

"When he comes back, Elena, he's going to want you here. It's the right thing to do."

And in her heart, Elena knew he was right. Plus, it would be her way of showing Damon that she never lost faith in him – in _them_.

She moved back in that night, intending never to leave again.

* * *

 _The struggle was real_ ,Elena thought while putting together furniture with instructions that might as well have been written in Chinese for all she could make of them. Elena wiped at the sweat on her brow as she continued to fumble with two cumbersome pieces of wood that didn't seem to align no matter how hard she tired. "Where are all the vampires when I need them?" she asked allowed.

"You called," a familiar voice said from the doorway and Elena dropped the particle board in shock.

"Damon!"

"You know," Damon began as he sauntered into the room and picked up the dropped piece of the dresser Elena had been working on, inspecting it as he turned it over in his hands, "my kid can afford to have real furniture. Not this cheap, fake shit you ordered from Ikea." He tossed the wood back on the pile and grabbed Elena's hand. "Come on, we'll go shopping."

"Damon, wait," Elena tugged her hand back but when he didn't let go, she dug her heals in until Damon stopped and released her. It was either that or allow Elena to go sprawling on the floor.

"Where have you been?" Elena asked sternly.

He shrugged, not meeting her eyes. "Around," is all he said.

"Damon – "

"Elena," Damon mimicked. "Come on, 'Lena. Let's not do this. I'm here now, okay?"

Furry rose in Elena's eyes. "Nu-uh, Damon. You don't get to get out of this that easily. I'm glad your back, but do you know how sick with worry we all were."

"I see that. You called Stefan? I saw his car outside."

Elena just glared in response.

"Okay. Okay. I give. But you wouldn't believe me if I told you."

"Try me."

Damon let out a long-suffering sigh. "Can we at least go downstairs and let me get a drink before we have this conversation?"

Elena relented and they made their way down the stairs. She was just starting to show, and she could feel Damon's eyes on her stomach as they walked.

In the living room, Elena made her way toward the fireplace, finding comfort in it's warming glow. Damon went straight for the drink table and poured a full glass of bourbon.

"Well?" she asked, eyebrows arched.

He took a deep sip and stared at her over the rim of his glass. "I went to Manhattan."

She narrowed her eyes at him, confused. "Why Manhattan?"

"Easy. It's the city of a million people. I didn't want to be found. At first, I drank my way from one end of the island to the other and back again."

Elena's eyebrows rose in knowing way, "Of course you did." This was exactly what she had suspected.

"Let me finish. I said 'at first,'" Damon said indignantly.

"Okay, so what'd you do next?"

"This is the part you might not believe."

"I'm waiting, Damon."

He cleared his throat. "Well, I was drinking at this bar one night and got to talking to this woman. Turns out, she had just landed a gig as a nanny to some high society type. The mother, her employer, had just had the baby and would be headed home from the hospital the following day. This chick – Rita was her name – was supposed to meet them at their Park avenue apartment. She explained that the mom was some hot-shot attorney and the dad some real-estate tycoon. Rita would be expected to basically raise this baby."

"What's the point in this story?"

"I'm getting to it. Be patient," Damon poured another splash of bourbon into his glass. ". I felt meeting Rita was a sign or something. I compelled her to let me come along."

Elena's eyes scrunched in confusion. "Wait. You went with her to her nannying gig?"

Damon nodded.

"And that's where you've been all this time?"

He nodded again.

"I don't get it."

"Don't you see, Elena? When I first got the news, I didn't believe it. It couldn't be real. I'm a vampire and vampires can't procreate. Then, sometime during my drunken haze, I realized that it didn't matter. I wanted to be there for you regardless of who the kid belonged to. I'd told you as much already."

It was Elena's turn to nod now. "Go on."

"But I don't know how to be a father."

"I call bullshit, Damon." Elena knew he had it in him. She'd seen it in the special visions he'd given only to her, not to mention in every caring thing he'd ever done for her. He'd be a fierce protector of their child, to be sure, but he'd be gentle when he needed to be.

"I freaked, Elena. I needed to know that I could do it. So I went with Rita, compelled the hell out of that family and I spent my weeks rocking little Chloe. I'd wake up with her, feed her, take her for walks in Central Park. I even changed diapers, Elena. Rita was getting paid and I was doing her job. I needed to know that I could really be a good father."

Elena tried to take it all in. On one hand, she could appreciate what Damon had done. She was elated to know that he wasn't drunk out of his mind the whole time or worse, killing innocent sorority girls all over the 48 contiguous states. Still, she was angry. He couldn't just keep leaving every time he got scared. He couldn't keep going on benders when things were a little harry. She needed him to step up.

Before she could say any of that, Damon stopped her. He strode to her side and took her cheeks in both hands. "I fucked up, Elena. God knows, I fucked up. And we both know it probably won't be the last time. But I came back. I will always come back. I love you, Elena. I love you, and I want this to work. Please forgive me."

Elena couldn't hold the tears back any more. She's spent weeks being strong and pretending to be fine. She was so good at pretending, but Damon always seemed to know how to bring her walls down. "But you left," she sobbed.

"I'm here now," he said, and he held her fast in his arms.

* * *

The gang was slow to forgive Damon for what he'd put them all through, Stefan slowest of all. But this was nothing new, and honestly, he didn't care what any of them thought as long as Elena forgave him. He knew he still had a ways to go to make it up to her, but he had a plan. He helped Caroline pull the nursery together. He rubbed Elena's feet when they were tired. He made delicious and nutritious meals for her. He went to every check-up and ultrasound. He even ran out for ice cream at odd hours of the night with only minimal complaint any time Elena had a craving. He also planned to impress her with his extensive baby knowledge and wake up with the baby every night if he had to. He'd always been a man of action, proving his love to Elena not through words but through deeds. Why would he change that now?

And besides, it was working. He could feel Elena softening toward him as each day passed. A few weeks in and they were making love again. A few more weeks went by, and Elena let Damon take her to Manhattan to meet Rita and baby Chloe. Elena's eyes lit up with she saw the baby respond to Damon. The baby cooed and swatted at his face, clearly recognizing him. It was a perfect day.

* * *

The baby arrived early. Elena had gone into labor at 32 weeks, and Damon had rushed Elena to the hospital, calling Meredith on the way. None of them knew what to expect from this baby, and they needed Meredith there in case anything odd came up.

The OB administed a drug called terbutaline, which slowed Elena's contractions enough to help the baby gestate a few more days, but in the end, their little girl still arrived like a freight train at top speed. _My kid, indeed._

Damon proudly held Elena's hand through it all. She was a champ. Before that day, he thought he couldn't love her more. It wasn't possible. He'd already seen her survive hell and pain and loss. He'd already seen her bravery, resilience, and compassion. What more was there to love? Well, he'd been wrong. Watching Elena endure labor and come out the other side a mother made his heart swell to a size he didn't know he was capable of. Then the nurse placed a crying, red faced baby in his arms and said, "Meet your Daddy, baby girl," and Damon thought his heart might just explode.

* * *

They named her Miranda Rose – Elena's idea, and who was Damon to argue – but decided to call her Mira. The birth had gone normally and as far as they could tell the baby, other than a few abnormal blood cells, seemed completely human. She nursed and thrived quickly, and both Elena and her daughter were released from the hospital within the week.

They brought little Mira home to a hastily finished nursery. Stefan had installed the crib and Caroline had finished hanging the curtains. The furniture Damon had ordered had been hand delivered already assembled, but Elena had yet to see it in the room. And Bonnie had helped Caroline decorate with books and stuffed animals and the cutest trinkets. It was a room fit for a princess.

Elena cried tears of happiness and Damon glowed with pride, but both parents were soon to discover that little Mira would hardly use her fancy bedroom.

* * *

Often, when Mira was awake, she needed Elena. The baby was nursing and only her mother would do, but at night, Damon was the first to get to her. Thanks to his super hearing, they didn't need a baby monitor. Damon could speed to Mira's room, pick her up, and sooth her before the crying even woke Elena. He would grab a bag of milk from the freezer, warm it, and feed the baby. Usually, she would fall back to sleep in his arms, but when he'd go to lay her back in her crib, she would fuss. Most days, Elena would wake to find the two asleep in the arm chair in the living room, Mira cuddled on her daddy's chest.

* * *

Vampires as dads? Elena highly recommended it. She was getting normal amounts of sleep, and all Damon needed to be rejuvenated in the morning was a bag of blood. He could go with very little shut-eye and be fine. If Elena found herself needing a diaper or a bottle or a paci, Damon could super speed around the house to fetch whatever she needed. Despite all this, watching him with his daughter you could easily forget he wasn't human. He was ever so gentle with Mira.

One day, Elena walked in on him playing with the baby during Mira's daily tummy time; however, Mira hated tummy time, which probably explained why she was happily kicking on her back when Elena walked in. He was saying, "Whatcha got in your hand there, sweetie? Want to give it to Daddy?"

He seemed not to notice Elena at first, but then he said, "Want to help me out here, Mommy? I don't want to hurt her and she just won't let go of this thing."

Elena walked over and crouched next to her beautiful daughter with her mop of raven hair and doe brown eyes. Sure enough, Mira had her fist curled tightly around something that Elena couldn't make out.

She reached over and stroked Mira's little hand before gently prying her fingers free of the object. "She's strong," Elena noted, smiling at Damon, before looking down at the object she now held in her hand. Elena gasped. It was a diamond ring.

When she turned back toward Damon, he was already on one knee at her side, a solitary tear streaming down his cheek.

Before he could even say a word, Elena was throwing herself into his arms. "Yes!" she exclaimed through her thickening throat and the tears that were already forming in her own eyes. "Yes," she repeated more calmly.

"I love you, Elena."

"I love you, too, Damon."

And then they both laughed because Mira started to cry as if she knew she was being left out. Damon lifted her into his arms as Elena put the ring on her finger. "What do you think, Mira? You like the ring I picked out for Mommy?"

The baby cooed and Elena kissed the baby's cheek.

As she luxuriated in the embrace of her new family, Elena thought about how her life had definitely not been easy, and who could really say what the future might hold. Still, she knew that right now she was happy, and she intended to live her life to the fullest every day. _Besides_ , she thought as she smiled down at Mira, _now I have a wedding to plan._

Fin – Again

A/N: And there we go. Visions of You is all done! I can hardly believe it. Now I need your help on deciding what to work on next. I'm still working on Moving On, my crackship featuring Klaus and Elena. I do intend to keep working on this one. It's an AU/AH set in Manhattan. I'd love your opinions on it. But I've got some other ideas and I want to start on one of those as well. So please vote. Do you want a Caroline/Kol crackshiip (I don't know why I'm obsessed with these two, but I am) 1) that's an AU/AH enemies to lovers where they try out for American Idol, 2) where Kol and Rebekah basically raise Caroline (AU), 3) that's another AU/AH in which Caroline and Kol become step-siblings, or 4)another Delena in which compelling hijinks bring the two together in unexpected ways. Wink, wink, nudge, nudge. Thanks, guys!


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